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Macroporous poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) hydrogels with fast response rates and improved protein release properties
Author(s) -
Cheng SiXue,
Zhang JianTao,
Zhuo RenXi
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of biomedical materials research part a
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.849
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1552-4965
pISSN - 1549-3296
DOI - 10.1002/jbm.a.10062
Subject(s) - lower critical solution temperature , self healing hydrogels , poly(n isopropylacrylamide) , materials science , bovine serum albumin , chemical engineering , swelling , aqueous solution , controlled release , polymer chemistry , polymer , chromatography , copolymer , nanotechnology , chemistry , composite material , organic chemistry , engineering
A series of temperature‐sensitive poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) hydrogels with large pore size and fast response were prepared by carrying out polymerizations in aqueous sodium chloride solutions with different concentrations. In comparison with conventional PNIPA hydrogels, the PNIPA gels thus prepared have remarkably larger swelling ratios below their lower critical solution temperature (LCST), and exhibit much faster response rates as the temperature is raised above their LCST. The improved properties are due to the presence of inorganic salt, NaCl, which leads the phase separation and formation of a heterogeneous porous structure during the polymerizations. The study on the drug release properties shows the macroporous hydrogels exhibit modulated release in response to temperature. The model protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), can be released completely from the porous hydrogels at the temperature lower than the LCST because the pore size of the hydrogels is larger than the protein molecules. However, the release of BSA from the gels almost stops after a “burst” release in the initial stage at the temperature higher than the LCST because the pores are closed at the high temperature. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 67A: 96–103, 2003