Surface-supported multilayers decorated with bio-active material aimed at light-triggered drug delivery

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biotechnology
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Layer-by-layer (LbL) films are versatile platforms for material functionalization.
• Biopolymer-based films offer unique properties for biomaterial applications.
• Controlling the incorporation and release of nanoparticles and biomolecules within films is crucial for advanced applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the functionalization of layer-by-layer films with gold nanoparticles and DNA.
• To compare the embedding efficiency of biopolymer-based films (hyaluronic acid/poly-L-lysine) with synthetic polymer-based films (poly(allylamine hydrochloride)/poly(styrene sulfonate)).
• To explore the light-triggered release of DNA from functionalized films.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of exponentially growing HA/PLL and linearly growing PAH/PSS films.
• Spontaneous incorporation of gold nanoparticles and DNA into the LbL films.
• Characterization of film properties, loading capacities, and diffusion behavior.
• Near-infrared (IR) laser light activation for controlled release studies.

Main Results:

• HA/PLL films exhibited significantly higher loading capacities for nanoparticles (100 μg/cm²) and DNA (1.5 μg/cm²) compared to PSS/PAH films.
• Spontaneous transport of PLL within HA/PLL films facilitated irreversible adsorption of microcapsules.
• Composite HA/PLL films with gold nanoparticles and DNA could be activated by near-IR light for DNA release.
• DNA diffusion into HA/PLL films was enhanced by heating to 70°C, and release was triggered by IR light.

Conclusions:

• HA/PLL films are superior to PSS/PAH films for embedding nanoparticles and DNA due to enhanced polymer mobility.
• The developed composite films offer high loading capacities and light-triggered release capabilities.
• Near-IR laser activation provides a biofriendly method for controlled release of biomolecules and activation of microcapsules.