pH-sensitive chitosan-based hydrogel nanoparticles through miniemulsion polymerization mediated by peroxide...

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Hydrogel nanoparticles (HNp) offer potential for drug delivery.
• Chitosan-based materials are biocompatible and widely explored in biomedical applications.
• Controlling nanoparticle properties is crucial for targeted delivery and release.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize novel chitosan-based hydrogel nanoparticles (HNp).
• To investigate the influence of cross-linking on HNp properties.
• To analyze the release kinetics of different fluorescent dyes from the HNp.

Main Methods:

• Free radical graft-copolymerization of a peroxide-containing chitosan derivative and 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (VP) in inverse miniemulsion.
• Introduction of N,N-methylenebisacrylamide as a cross-linker.
• Fluorescence measurements to monitor the release of anionic (sulforhodamine 101) and cationic (rhodamine 123) dyes.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized chitosan-based hydrogel nanoparticles.
• Densely cross-linked HNp exhibited reduced pH-dependent swelling.
• Release kinetics were significantly influenced by the nature of the loaded dye and its interaction with the hydrogel matrix.

Conclusions:

• The synthesized HNp demonstrate tunable properties through controlled cross-linking.
• The interaction between payload molecules and the hydrogel matrix is a key factor in controlling release.
• These novel HNp hold promise for applications in controlled drug release and diagnostics.