N-isopropylacrylamide Research Articles

Assessment of two-dimensional materials on the biological membrane permeability of Epirubicin anti-cancer drug

Since the applications of graphene (GNS) and Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) in biomedicine are limited due to low intrinsic solubility in aqueous media, non-covalently modification of the surface of graphene and MoS2 by polymers is known as a strategy to increase solubility and biocompatibility. Hence, we are applied molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to evaluated drug carrier efficiency of GNS and MoS2 for loading of Epirubicin (EPIR) drug in the presence of Poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) polymer. The dominance of the hydrophobic force between drug and nanosheets especially during the interaction of EPIR molecules with MoS2 is found. Changing degree of polymerization from two monomers to ten monomers leads to increasing the hydrophobic interaction of PNIPAM with two-dimensional materials which is associated with a progressive decrease of the hydrophobic interaction of EPIR-GNS/EPIR-MoS2. The delivery of Epirubicin loaded on GNS/MoS2 in the absence and presence of PNIPAM molecules across membrane is also investigated. After entering of MoS2 loaded by EPIR drugs in the presence and absence of PNIPAM molecules into the center of bilayer, the mechanical damage of the membrane is observed. Whereas, the ability of GNS to interact with lipid molecules of membrane is weak and only some lipids extract from the membrane.

Influence of the Poly(ethylene Glycol) Methyl Ether Methacrylates on the Selected Physicochemical Properties of Thermally Sensitive Polymeric Particles for Controlled Drug Delivery.

Thermosensitive copolymers P1-P5 of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPA) and poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylates (PEGMEMs) were synthesized via surfactant-free precipitation polymerization (SFPP) using ammonium persulfate (APS) at 70 °C. The polymerization course was evaluated by the conductivity. The hydrodynamic diameters and the polydispersity indexes (PDI) of P1-P5 in the 18-45 °C range, which were assessed via dynamic light scattering (DLS), were at 18° (nm): 26.07 ± 0.54 (PDI 0.65 ± 0.03), 68.00 ± 1.10 (PDI 0.56 ± 0,02), 45.12 ± 0.57 (PDI 0.51 ± 0.03), 62.78 ± 0.40 (PDI 0.53 ± 0.003), and 92.95 ± 1.56 (PDI 0.60 ± 0.04), respectively. The lower critical solution temperatures ranged from 31 to 33 °C. The electrophoretic mobilities estimated the zeta potential in the 18-45 °C range, and at 18 °C, they were (mV): -4.64 ± 1.30, -6.91 ± 2.67, -5.85 ± 3.17, -2.28 ± 0.30, and -3.60 ± 0.96 for P1-P5, respectively. The polymers were characterized by Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and powder X-ray diffraction analysis (PXRD). Stable amorphous polymers were obtained. We conclude that the length of the co-monomer chain nonlinearly influences the properties of the obtained thermosensitive polymer nanostructures.

An injectable hyperthermic nanofiber mesh with switchable drug release to stimulate chemotherapy potency.

We developed a smart nanofiber mesh (SNM) with anticancer abilities as well as injectability and fast recovery from irregular to non-compressible shapes. The mesh can be injected at the tumor site to modulate and control anticancer effects by loading the chemotherapeutic drug, paclitaxel (PTX), as well as magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). The storage modulus of the mesh decreases when applied with a certain shear strain, and the mesh can pass through a 14-gauge needle. Moreover, the fibrous morphology is maintained even after injection. In heat-generation measurements, the mesh achieved an effective temperature of mild hyperthermia (41-43°C) within 5min of exposure to alternating magnetic field (AMF) irradiation. An electrospinning method was employed to fabricate the mesh using a copolymer of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) and N-hydroxyethyl acrylamide (HMAAm), whose phase transition temperature was adjusted to a mildly hyperthermic temperature range. Pplyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was also incorporated to add shear-thinning property to the interactions between polymer chains derived from hydrogen bonding, The "on-off" switchable release of PTX from the mesh was detected by the drug release test. Approximately 73% of loaded PTX was released from the mesh after eight cycles, whereas only a tiny amount of PTX was released during the cooling phase. Furthermore, hyperthermia combined with chemotherapy after exposure to an AMF showed significantly reduced cancer cell survival compared to the control group. Subsequent investigations have proven that a new injectable local hyperthermia chemotherapy platform could be developed for cancer treatment using this SNM.

Self-Healing Thermosensitive Hydrogel for Sustained Release of Dexamethasone for Ocular Therapy.

The aim of this study was to develop an injectable hydrogel delivery system for sustained ocular delivery of dexamethasone. To this end, a self-healing hydrogel consisting of a thermosensitive ABA triblock copolymer was designed. The drug was covalently linked to the polymer by copolymerization of methacrylated dexamethasone with N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and N-acryloxysuccinimide (NAS) through reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, using poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) functionalized at both ends with a chain transfer agent (CTA). Hydrogel formation was achieved by mixing aqueous solutions of the formed thermosensitive polymer (with a cloud point of 23 °C) with cystamine at 37 °C, to result in covalent cross-linking due to the reaction of the N-hydroxysuccimide (NHS) functionality of the polymer and the primary amines of cystamine. Rheological analysis showed both thermogelation and covalent cross-linking at 37 °C, as well as the self-healing properties of the formed network, which was attributed to the presence of disulfide bonds in the cystamine cross-links, making the system injectable. The release of dexamethasone from the hydrogel occurred through ester hydrolysis following first-order kinetics in an aqueous medium at pH 7.4 over 430 days at 37 °C. Based on simulations, administration of 100 mg of hydrogel would be sufficient for maintaining therapeutic levels of dexamethasone in the vitreous for at least 500 days. Importantly, dexamethasone was released from the hydrogel in its native form as determined by LC-MS analysis. Cytocompatibility studies showed that at clinically relevant concentrations, both the polymer and the cross-linker were well tolerated by adult retinal pigment epithelium (ARPE-19) cells. Moreover, the hydrogel did not show any toxicity to ARPE-19 cells. The injectability of the hydrogel, together with the long-lasting release of dexamethasone and good cytocompatibility with a retinal cell line, makes this delivery system an attractive candidate for treatment of ocular inflammatory diseases.

A chitosan derivative-crosslinked hydrogel with controllable release of polydeoxyribonucleotides for wound treatment

Nucleic acid-based agents have advantages in therapeutic efficacy and biological safety. However, due to its facile degradability, it lacks an effective route of administration in wound treatment. Designing smart hydrogels for the spatiotemporally controllable delivery of nucleic acids is of great significance for clinical applications. Here, a near-infrared (NIR)-responsive nanocomposite hydrogel was prepared using methyl methacrylate (GMA)-modified chitosan as the macromolecular cross-linker, N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) as the backbone, and molybdenum disulfide nanosheets (MoS2 NSs) as the nanocomponents. The polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN), a nucleic acid-based agent that promotes tissue regeneration, was loaded and delivered. The photothermal conversion capability of MoS2 NSs enables customized care of PDRNs and antibacterial enhancement. In a full-thickness skin defect model, high-quality wound healing effects were demonstrated under the action of nanocomposite hydrogels. The proposed nanocomposite hydrogel provides a new reference for local delivery of nucleic acid-based agents.

Structure-property relationships of Kaolin-nanocomposite beads decorated with tertiary amines: Influence of shape on network elasticity and multi-responsivity

Aluminosilicate mineral Kaolin-loaded nanocomposite beads containing cationic 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and thermoresponsive N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPA) have been successfully synthesized by combined method of dropwise freezing into cryogenic liquid and sedimentation cryogelation. Hertzian elasticity, thermal stability, and responsive-swelling properties were investigated. The nanocomposite gels exhibited better mechanical properties and thermal stability than neat copolymer gels. The stress and displacement distribution on surface of Kaolin-loaded nanocomposite beads were evaluated with classical Hertz theory, and the results were compared with the results obtained from Rubber elasticity theory. The scaling relationship for contact stress and surface displacement was obtained assuming Hertz's small contact area, and the compression force was scaled with displacement with an exponent of 1.34 ± 0.08. The elastic properties directly attributed to effective potential showed that Hertz potential is valid for small deformations and the elastic modulus decreased with the swollen bead diameter. Addition of Kaolin and NIPA to PDMAEMA-based network has opposite effect on the mechanical properties. The elastic modulus increased, but the swelling ratio decreased with addition of Kaolin. The opposite behavior was observed when NIPA was added, the swelling increased and the mechanical properties weakened. All gels showed significant temperature sensitivity as a result of combination of PDMAEMA and PNIPA, while the swelling was higher at acidic pH than alkaline pH. An overshooting effect attributed to the dynamic conformational changes of tertiary amine of DMAEMA was observed during swelling in pH 3.6. The increase in network density of nanocomposite gel with addition of Kaolin leads to slower relaxation of molecules, and water absorption tends to become relaxation-controlled. An increase in diffusion exponent is observed as diffusion changes from Fickian to non-Fickian. Influence of single salts; NaCl, KCl and K2CO3 on swelling of nanocomposites was investigated. The swelling of Kaolin-loaded nanocomposites decreased with increasing ionic strength, and a “salting-out” effect was observed. The use of naturally occurring nanoscale particles in such structural material design is an important method for biomedical applications and separation technology.

Enhanced Delivery of Insulin through Acrylamide-Modified Chitosan Containing Smart Carrier System.

The present study develops on insulin-release studies from the chitosan-amide-modified stimuli-responsive polymers formed from various fatty acids including stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid. This is the continuation of an earlier reported study that investigates the insulin-release profiles of chitosan-modified fatty acid amides (without stimuli responsive polymers). Following the synthesis and characterization of many different fatty acid amides with a varying amount of unsaturation, the insulin drug loading and release effects were compared among N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm), a thermo-responsive polymer, and 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS), a pH-responsive polymer-modified hydrogel that is expected to enhance environmental response and the controllability of release. Finally, drug release effects were studied to investigate the drug release mechanisms with the help of five different pharmacokinetic models including the zero-order, first-order, Higuchi, Korsmeyers-Peppas, and Hixson models. The results indicate that the Higuchi and Hixson models are valid in terms of the operation of the NIPAm and AMPS matrices during the delivery of insulin.

Thermo-Responsive Polymer-siRNA Conjugates Enabling Artificial Control of Gene Silencing around Body Temperature.

Controlling small interfering RNA (siRNA) activity by external stimuli is useful to exert a selective therapeutic effect at the target site. This study aims to develop a technology to control siRNA activity in a thermo-responsive manner, which can be utilized even at temperatures close to body temperature. siRNA was conjugated with a thermo-responsive copolymer that was synthesized by copolymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) and hydrophilic N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAA) to permit thermally controlled interaction between siRNA and an intracellular gene silencing-related protein by utilizing the coil-to-globule phase transition of the copolymer. The composition of the copolymer was fine-tuned to obtain lower critical solution temperature (LCST) around body temperature, and the phase transition behavior was evaluated. The cellular uptake and gene silencing efficiency of the copolymer-siRNA conjugates were then investigated in cultured cells. The siRNA conjugated with the copolymer with LCST of 38.0°C exhibited ~ 11.5nm of the hydrodynamic diameter at 37°C and ~ 9.8nm of the diameter at 41°C, indicating the coil-globule transition above the LCST. In line with this LCST behavior, its cellular uptake and gene silencing efficiency were enhanced when the temperature was increased from 37°C to 41°C. By fine-tuning the LCST behavior of the copolymer that was conjugated with siRNA, siRNA activity could be controlled in a thermo-responsive manner around the body temperature. This technique may offer a promising approach to induce therapeutic effects of siRNA selectively in the target site even in the in vivo conditions.

Preparation of Temperature-Responsive Antibody-Nanoparticles by RAFT-Mediated Grafting from Polymerization.

Herein, we report the preparation of temperature-responsive antibody-nanoparticles by the direct polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) from immunoglobulin G (IgG). To this end, a chain transfer agent (CTA) was introduced into IgG, followed by the precipitation polymerization of NIPAAm in an aqueous medium via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST). Consequently, antibody-polymer particles with diameters of approximately 100-200 nm were formed. Owing to the entanglement of the grafted polymers via partial chemical crosslinking, the antibody-nanoparticles maintained their stability even at temperatures below the LCST. Further, the dispersed nanoparticles could be collected by thermal precipitation above the LCST. Additionally, the antibody-nanoparticles formulation could maintain its binding constant and exhibited a good resistance against enzymatic treatment. Thus, the proposed antibody-nanoparticles can be useful for maximizing the therapeutic potential of antibody-drug conjugates or efficacies of immunoassays and antibody recovery and recycling.

Effect of surfactants on the thermoresponse of PNIPAM investigated in the brush geometry

HypothesisAnionic surfactants have been reported to interact with poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM), suppressing its thermoresponse. Scattering and NMR studies of the anionic sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) system propose that the PNIPAM-surfactant interaction is purely hydrophobic. However, prior phenomenological investigations of a range of surfactant identities (anionic, cationic, nonionic) show that only anionic surfactants affect the thermoresponse and conformation of PNIPAM, implying that the hydrophilic head–group also contributes. Crucially, the phenomenological experiments do not measure the affinity of the tested surfactants to the polymer, only their effect on its behaviour. ExperimentsWe study the adsorption of six surfactants within a planar PNIPAM brush system, elucidating the polymer conformation, thermoresponse, and surfactant adsorption kinetics using ellipsometry, neutron reflectometry (NR), optical reflectometry and the quartz crystal microbalance technique. NR is used to measure the distribution of surfactants within the brush. FindingsWe find that only anionic surfactants modify the structure and thermoresponse of PNIPAM, with the greater affinity of anionic surfactants for PNIPAM (relative to cationic and nonionic surfactants) being the primary reason for this behaviour. These results show that the surfactant head–group has a more critical role in mediating PNIPAM-surfactant interaction than previously reported. Taking inspiration from prior molecular dynamics work on the PEO-surfactant system, we propose an interaction mechanism for PNIPAM and SDS that reconciles evidence for hydrophobic interaction with the observed head–group-dependent affinity.

Thermo-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogel particles improve workability loss and autogenous shrinkage in cement paste

In this work, we show that non-superabsorbent, thermo-responsive poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogel particles (< 250 μm) can reduce autogenous shrinkage in cement paste and improve early-age stiffening that can be caused by traditional superabsorbent polymers (SAPs). Swelling measurements in DI water and cement filtrate solution suggest that SAP-induced early-age stiffening is caused by its super-absorbency in low-ionic solutions – a behavior not exhibited by non-superabsorbent PNIPAM. Addition of PNIPAM resulted in a 29% and 60% reduction in autogenous shrinkage strain at 14 days when used alone (0.3 wt% PNIPAM) and in combination with SAP (0.15% PNIPAM, 0.15% SAP), respectively, compared to a Control with no polymer addition. Furthermore, an addition of 0.3 wt.% PNIPAM exhibited a ∼29% and ∼37% decrease in static yield stress compared to a Control and 0.3 wt% SAP-modified cement pastes, respectively. Taken together, the results provide initial evidence to suggest that the use of hydrogels as internal curing agents may not necessarily require super-absorbency to reduce autogenous shrinkage. Non-superabsorbent hydrogels, like PNIPAM, may help reduce autogenous shrinkage while alleviating the effects of SAP-induced early-age stiffening.

Independent control over sizes and surface properties of polystyrene-based particles using multiple comonomers

Polystyrene (PSt)-based particles are versatile components for composite materials, and their sizes and surface properties play a vital role in composite processes. In this study, we developed highly useful PSt-based particles by soap-free emulsion polymerization. The size and surface properties of monodisperse PSt-based particles were controlled using an ionic comonomer of sodium p-styrenesulfonic acid (NaSS) and a nonionic comonomer of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM). The particle sizes decreased with increasing NaSS concentration. A weak dependence of particle sizes on NIPAM concentration was observed at a fixed NaSS concentration of 2 mM. The particles synthesized at an NIPAM ratio of 10 mol% or more exhibited shrinking behavior at 50°C, although an increase in NaSS concentration suppressed the shrinking behavior of the particles. Compared to the results of previous reports, the ratio of the nonionic (NIPAM) and the ionic (NaSS and initiator) components corresponds to the shrinking degree of PSt-based particles copolymerized with NIPAM. Surface tensions of the suspensions were measured to evaluate the surface properties of the PSt-based particles because poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) has an intrinsic property of surface activity. The surface tension decreased with increasing NIPAM ratio up to 10 mol%. An analysis using a fluorescence probe of Laurdan experimentally indicated that the addition of NIPAM formed a localized hydrophobic environment on the particle surfaces, resulting in surface activity. These results suggest that the employments of ionic comonomer and NIPAM enable independent controls over sizes and surface activities of PSt-based particles, which is required for development of new functional materials incorporating monodisperse polymer particles as building blocks.

Multifunctionalization of RC membrane via combining surface initiated RAFT polymerization with thiolactone chemistry for enhanced antibody recovery

Hydrophobic charge induction chromatography (HCIC) is becoming an attractive separation technology for antibody purification but suffers from low recovery. Herein we attempted to incorporate temperature responsiveness and strong ion exchange functions onto HCIC membrane adsorber to enhance antibody recovery. We proposed a multifunctional surface modification method combining surface-initiated reversible addition-fracture chain transfer polymerization (SI-RAFT) and the thiolactone chemistry. A regenerated cellulose (RC) membrane was modified by the SI-RAFT of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) and thiolactone acrylamide (TIaAm), followed by the “amine-thiol-ene” cascade reaction of thiolactone with tryptamine, a HCIC ligand and methylpropylene trioxyethyl ammonium chloride (METAC), a strong ion exchanger. Temperature, pH and salt effects on IgG and BSA adsorption were investigated. After optimization, the RC-HCIC membrane adsorber had a static adsorption capacity of 41 mg/g for IgG, and an ideal IgG to BSA separation factor of 4.7, under the condition of pH = 7 and T = 30 °C. The membrane showed temperature-responsive IgG uptake from 10 °C to 35 °C. At pH = 5 and T = 10 °C, the recovery of IgG reached 93.5%, and the activity was well retained. These results indicate that the combination of temperature responsiveness of NIPAAm with HCIC is an effective strategy to improve the IgG recovery.

Preparation and action mechanism of temperature sensitive N-isopropylacrylamide/nanosilica hybrid as rheological modifier for water-based drilling fluid

A temperature-sensitive silica nanohybrid with a temperature response at 35 °C was prepared by copolymerization of temperature-sensitive monomer N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) with reactive nanosilica (RNS-D).The rheological properties of the as-prepared NIPAM/nano-SiO2 nanohybrid as the rheological modifier of water-based drilling fluid were tested. Findings demonstrate that NIPAM/nano-SiO2 nanohybrid contributes to increasing the viscosity of the drilling fluid upon elevating temperature, and the drilling fluid fits to the Herschel-Bulkley model. The drilling fluid containing 1.0% (mass fraction) of NIPAM/nano-SiO2 nanohybrid exhibits significant thermally thickening performance at the critical association temperature (Tass) of NIPAM (Tass; 35 °C). In terms of the action mechanism of NIPAM/nano-SiO2 nanohybrid in drilling fluid, the amide group of NIPAM/nano-SiO2 nanohybrid can form hydrogen bond with bentonite, thereby being well adsorbed on the surface and edge of bentonite platelets or even entrapped into the interlay of the bentonite platelets. The resultant cross-linked structure can function to prevent the flocculation of bentonite platelets and increase the viscosity of the drilling fluid. After heating to Tass, the temperature-sensitive polymer molecular chains undergo hydrophilic to hydrophobic transformation and hydrophobic association to form cross-linked three-dimensional network structure and increase the viscosity of the drilling fluid. More importantly, the water-based drilling fluid with 1.0% NIPAM/nano-SiO2 nanohybrid still retains thermally thickening behavior and flat rheology even after being aged at 150 °C. Therefore, the temperature-sensitive NIPAM/nano-SiO2 nanohybrid could be a potential rheological modifier for flat rheology water-based drilling fluid.

Flexible nanofiber composite membrane with photothermally induced switchable wettability for different oil/water emulsions separation

How to quickly, conveniently and efficiently separate different kinds of oil–water mixtures and emulsions remains a great challenge. Herein, we fabricate a photo-thermally responsive nanofiber composite membrane with switchable superwettability by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) adsorption onto electrospun polyurethane (PU) nanofibers and then poly (N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) modification. The PNIPAM enhances the interfacial interaction between CNTs and PU nanofibers without sacrificing the flexibility of the membrane. The outstanding photothermal conversion behavior endows the nanofiber composite with quick reversible conversion of superhydrophilicity and good hydrophobicity. The nanofiber composite membrane can successfully separate the oil/water mixture with different oil densities, oil-in-water emulsions at room temperature and water-in-oil emulsions under the assistance of the infrared light, with both high liquid permeation flux and separation efficiency. In addition, the PNIPAM/CNTs@PU shows superior cyclic separation performance. This multi-functional composite membrane exhibits promising applications in intelligent, smart and controllable separation of oil contaminated wastewater.

A novel pH-and temperature sensitive polymer based on MoS2 modified poly (N-Isopropyl Acrylamide)/ allyl acetoacetate for doxorubicin delivery: synthesis, characterization, in-vitro release and cytotoxicity studies

A novel pH-and temperature sensitive polymer based on MoS2 modified poly (N-Isopropyl Acrylamide)/ allyl acetoacetate for doxorubicin delivery: synthesis, characterization, in-vitro release and cytotoxicity studies

Preparation and Evaluation of a Sulfadimethoxine‐Conjugated Hydrogel Based on N‐isopropylacrylamide as a Sustained Release Drug Delivery System

AbstractThe burst release of drugs limited the development of the thermo‐responsive hydrogels based on poly N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) for application in drug delivery systems. To overcome this problem, the drug sulfadimethoxine (SDMO) was conjugated via amide bond to the PNIPAAm hydrogel instead of loaded into the system. Therefore, SDMO was modified using maleic anhydride to get N‐maleyl sulfadimethoxine (NMSDMO) and then utilized that to synthesize the sulfadimethoxine‐conjugated PNIPAAm hydrogel (P[NIPAAm‐co‐NMSDMO]). The resultant monomer was then grafted into the hydrogel network at different weight percentage through radical polymerization. The NMSDMO monomer and the P[NIPAAm‐co‐NMSDMO] hydrogels were fully investigated. The in vitro drug released displayed sustained release in pH 5 and 7.4 for 24 h. Hydrolysis of the amide bond causes the release rate and total amount of drug to be greatest at pH 5, as compared to pH 7.4. As a result, the P[NIPAAm‐co‐NMSDMO] hydrogel was an effective sustained drug delivery system.

Thermo-Sensitive Poly (N-isopropylacrylamide-co-polyacrylamide) Hydrogel for pH-Responsive Therapeutic Delivery.

Stimuli-response polymeric nanoparticles have emerged as a carrier system for various types of therapeutic delivery. In this study, we prepared a dual pH- and thermo-sensitive copolymer hydrogel (HG) system (PNIPAm-co-PAAm HG), using N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAm) and acrylamide (AAm) as comonomers. The synthesized PNIPAm-co-PAAm HG was characterized using various instrumental characterizations. Moreover, the PNIPAm-co-PAAm HG’s thermoresponsive phase transition behavior was investigated, and the results showed that the prepared HG responds to temperature changes. In vitro drug loading and release behavior of PNIPAm-co-PAAm HG was investigated using Curcumin (Cur) as the model cargo under different pH and temperature conditions. The PNIPAm-co-PAAm HG showed pH and temperature-responsive drug release behavior and demonstrated about 65% Cur loading efficiency. A nearly complete release of the loaded Cur occurred from the PNIPAm-co-PAAm HG over 4 h at pH 5.5 and 40 °C. The cytotoxicity study was performed on a liver cancer cell line (HepG2 cells), which revealed that the prepared PNIPAm-co-PAAm HG showed good biocompatibility, suggesting that it could be applied as a drug delivery carrier. Moreover, the in vitro cytocompatibility test (MTT assay) results revealed that the PNIPAm-co-PAAm HG is biocompatible. Therefore, the PNIPAm-co-PAAm HG has the potential to be useful in the delivery of drugs in solid tumor-targeted therapy.

Constructing self-healing high-strength elastomer with condensed state microphase separation by solubilization and copolymerization

Self-healing is a fascinating property for materials, but it is still a challenge to simply, effectively and greenly prepare self-healing material. Here, a self-healing elastomer was fabricated by solubilization copolymerization of ethylene glycol methyl ether acrylate (MEA) and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM). When NIPAM content was 40%, “strong condensed state” emerged and led to obvious microphase separation, which greatly improved stress to 3.5 MPa at break (≈650%). Meantime, because the condensed state was still weak in the copolymer, the dissociation and re-association could occur to improve self-healing performance. The copolymer had about 60% self-healing efficiency after 8h at 100 °C, and the actual stress was 2 MPa at break (≈500%). The copolymer with good solubility can be easily recycled and reprocessed. A wrinkled skin-core conductive filament also was prepared by wet spinning and stretching coating, which was conductive and stretchable. And the self-healing core can drive conductive PEDOT: PSS shell to re-touch after break. • The solubilization copolymerization preparation is more simple, effective and green. • Microphase separation structure are formed by polymerizing monomer with micellar distribution. • NIPAM condensed state can achieve dissociation and re-association to improved self-healing performance. • Copolymers have good mechanical properties, self-healing properties, recyclability and secondary processability.

Investigating the Sensitivity of New Formulation MAGAT and NIPAM Polymer Gels in the Radiation Therapy Dosimetry.

Background: Normoxic polymer gels have been used as a three dimensional (3D) dosimeter in radiation therapy, recently. The sensitivity of these gels is important in dosimetry and their improvement can be also useful.Objective: In this study, different modalities of gel reading were used and the structure of gel changed due to the best improvement of sensitivity. The sensitivities of the new formulation of Methacrylic acid gel (MAGAT) and N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAM) polymer gel dosimeters were studied using two different reading methods of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT).Material and Methods: In this experimental study, in addition to making the NIPAM polymer gel dosimeter, a new formulation of normoxic polymer gel dosimeter, which named MAGAT gel, was investigated. The gels were irradiated with 6 MV in low doses, including1, 1.5, 1.75, 2 and 2.5 Gy. MRI and X-ray CT did the reading of gel dosimeters a day after irradiation using an elevated protocol.Results: The dose sensitivities of 0.92 HGy-1 and 0.47 HGy-1 were obtained for new MAGAT and NIPAM polymer gel dosimeters, respectively, based on the X-ray CT reading modality. The use of MRI reading modality and the dose sensitivities were 0.74 S-1Gy-1 and 0.27 S-1Gy-1 for new MAGAT and NIPAM polymer gel dosimeters, respectively.Conclusion: The new formulation of MAGAT polymer gel with a suitable protocol of gel reading has a better response.