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Thermoresponsive self‐assembled nanovesicles based on amphiphilic triblock copolymers and their potential applications as smart drug release carriers
Author(s) -
Cao Xia,
Chen Yunxiang,
Chai Wenchao,
Zhang Wenjie,
Wang Yudong,
Fu PengFei
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.41361
Subject(s) - lower critical solution temperature , copolymer , materials science , polymer chemistry , amphiphile , polymerization , poly(n isopropylacrylamide) , chemical engineering , thermoresponsive polymers in chromatography , drug carrier , drug delivery , aqueous solution , polymer , nanotechnology , chemistry , organic chemistry , composite material , phase (matter) , reversed phase chromatography , engineering
A series of thermoresponsive triblock copolymers, methoxy poly(ethylene oxide)‐ b ‐poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐ b ‐poly( N ‐isopropylacrylamide) (mPEO‐ b ‐PCL‐ b ‐PNIPAM), with different PCL and PNIPAM block lengths, were synthesized by a combination of ring opening polymerization and reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization techniques. The triblock copolymers undergo self‐assembly in aqueous solutions forming stable nanovesicles of various sizes with a lipid membrane structure similar to body cells as revealed by transmission electron microscopy. The nanovesicle is thermoresponsive, that is, its size is tunable using the temperature as a switch: shrinks at a temperature above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and expands at a temperature below the LCST. The corresponding LCST of the triblock copolymers is adjustable by varying the PNIAM segment length as well as the PCL segment length and covers a range from 33.9 to 41.0°C in water. The diameter of nanovesicles for mPEO 3k ‐ b ‐PCL 5k ‐ b ‐PNIPAM 13.2k is about 177.7 nm below the LCST and 138.9 nm above the LCST, as determined by dynamic light scattering. It was demonstrated using indomethacin, a popular anti‐inflammation medicine, that the triblock copolymers can effectively act as a drug release carrier under the right human physiological conditions, that is, store the drug at a lower temperature and release it at a higher temperature, possibly targeting at the lesion sites of human body. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132 , 41361.