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Preparation and Characterization of Individual and Multi-drug Loaded Physically Entrapped Polymeric Micelles
Published on: August 28, 2015
Stabilized mixed micelles with a temperature-responsive core and a functional shell.
Petar Petrov1, Christo B Tsvetanov, Robert Jérôme
1Institute of Polymers, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Akad. G. Bonchev Street 103A, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria. ppetrov@polymer.bas.bg
The Journal of Physical Chemistry. B
|May 2, 2009
Summary
Researchers developed stabilized polymeric micelles with mixed shells for advanced applications. These multiresponsive micelles offer tunable properties and serve as templates for silver nanoparticle synthesis.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Multiresponsive micelles are crucial for drug delivery and nanotechnology.
- Stabilization of micelles is key for their practical application.
- Tuning micelle properties requires precise control over their composition and structure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the formation and stabilization of multiresponsive micelles with mixed shells.
- To explore the influence of copolymer composition and pH on micelle morphology and stability.
- To demonstrate the utility of these stabilized micelles as templates for nanoparticle synthesis.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis and characterization of poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(propylene oxide)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) and polyelectrolyte-PPO-polyelectrolyte triblock copolymers.
- Formation of micelles through binary mixtures of copolymers.
- In situ UV-assisted polymerization and cross-linking of pentaerythritol tetraacrylate (PETA) for micelle stabilization.
- Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for morphological analysis.
- pH-dependent stability studies.
- Application as templates for silver nanoparticle (Ag NP) preparation.
Main Results:
- Spherical or wormlike stabilized polymeric micelles with a mixed shell (SPMMS) were successfully formed.
- Micelle morphology and stability were dependent on copolymer composition and experimental conditions.
- PAA-containing SPMMS exhibited pH-sensitive reversible precipitation, while PEO/PDMAEMA SPMMS remained dispersed over a wide pH range (2-11).
- SPMMS were effectively used as templates for synthesizing Ag NPs.
Conclusions:
- The study successfully demonstrates the formation and stabilization of multiresponsive micelles with tunable properties.
- The developed SPMMS offer controlled pH-responsiveness and stability, making them suitable for various applications.
- SPMMS serve as versatile platforms for the fabrication of nanomaterials, such as silver nanoparticles.
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