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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Magnetic and Thermal-sensitive Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based Microgels for Magnetically Triggered Controlled Release
Published on: July 4, 2017
In vitro cytotoxicity and drug release properties of pH- and temperature-sensitive core-shell hydrogel microspheres
Liwei Ma1, Mingzhu Liu, Hongliang Liu
1State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China.
Abstract:
A simple method has been developed to prepare smart P(N,N-diethylacrylamide-co-methacrylic acid) (P(DEA-co-MAA)) microspheres that consist of well-defined temperature-sensitive cores and pH sensitive shells. The microgels have been prepared by surfactant-free emulsion polymerization using water as the solvent. The core-shell hydrogel microspheres have been characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV spectrometry, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron micrograph (TEM). Preliminary characterization of the biocompatibility of hydrogel microspheres has been done by the cytotoxicity assays using the HeLa human breast cancer cell line as probes. The in vitro drug release indicates that drug release rate, encapsulation efficiency (EE) and release kinetics depend upon the pH value and copolymer composition. According to this study, the hydrogel microspheres based on P(DEA-co-MAA) could serve as suitable candidate for drug site-specific carrier in intestine.
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