Polymer Nanosheet Containing Star-Like Copolymers: A Novel Scalable Controlled Release System

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanomaterials show promise for controlled release but face fabrication challenges.
• Existing polymer nanosheet (PNS) fabrication methods are often labor-intensive and yield limited quantities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a scalable method for producing PCL-based PNSs.
• To investigate the potential of these PNSs as tunable controlled release systems.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of multilayer polymer films using layer multiplying coextrusion.
• Simple water exposure to yield PCL-based PNSs with adjustable thickness.
• Characterization of release kinetics and theoretical modeling (Korsmeyer-Peppas, Finite-element analysis).

Main Results:

• Achieved large-scale production of PCL-based PNSs via a straightforward water-exposure technique.
• Demonstrated tunable guest release from PNSs, influenced by nanosheet thickness, pH, and protective layers.
• Elucidated release mechanisms through theoretical simulations.

Conclusions:

• Scalable, cost-effective fabrication of PCL-based PNSs is feasible.
• PCL-based PNSs represent a novel platform for controlled release with tunable kinetics.
• Understanding release mechanisms aids in optimizing PNS performance for specific applications.