Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026

A Facile and Efficient Approach for the Production of Reversible Disulfide Cross-linked Micelles
Published on: December 23, 2016
pH-Responsive dendritic core-shell architectures as amphiphilic nanocarriers for polar drugs
Shangjie Xu1, Michael Krämer, Rainer Haag
1Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustr. 3, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
Abstract:
In this paper a simple general synthetic concept was used to generate dendritic core-shell architectures based on hyperbranched poly(ethylene imine) cores and different shells which contain aliphatic chains and poly(ethylene glycol) chains, respectively. Using these dendritic core-shell architectures as nanocarriers we studied the encapsulation and transport of polar drugs, such as congo red. The results showed that the acid labile nanocarriers exhibited much higher transport capacities for congo red than the bare poly(ethylene imine). This gives an opportunity for the controlled release of encapsulated dyes and drugs by a pH-triggered cleavage of the imine bond. In two cases the pH-sensitivity was studied and a relatively high stability of the imine bond was observed at pH 8, while fast cleavage occurred at pH 5-7. This pH difference correspond to the pH-shift in malignant tissues (tumor, infection) compared to normal tissue, which could trigger the release of the encapsulated drugs.
Related Concept Videos
Site-Targeted Drug Delivery Systems: Polymeric Carriers
Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Site-Targeted
Cellular Membranes and Drug Transport
Phospholipids arrange themselves into a bilayer, with hydrophilic heads oriented outward and hydrophobic tails facing inward.
Drug Delivery: Overview
Enteral delivery involves administering drugs directly through swallowing, sublingual placement, or buccal application. Orally administered drugs predominantly navigate the gastrointestinal...
Drug Delivery Systems: Different Types
Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Stimuli-Activated

