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Uniform Two-Dimensional Crystalline Platelets with Tailored Compositions for pH Stimulus-Responsive Drug Release
Xu Zhang1, Guanhao Chen1, Bowen Zheng1
1School of Materials Science and Engineering and Institute of Smart Biomedical Materials, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
Biomacromolecules
|January 26, 2023
Summary
Researchers developed biocompatible, two-dimensional platelets using poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) for drug delivery. These platelets offer controlled, pH-responsive drug release, overcoming challenges in accessing cargo within crystalline structures.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Crystallization-driven self-assembly (CDSA) enables the creation of tunable, water-dispersible 2D particles.
- A key challenge in using crystalline particles for drug delivery is achieving efficient cargo access and release.
- Stimulus-responsive materials are crucial for targeted and controlled therapeutic agent delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and synthesize novel biocompatible 2D platelets with a crystalline core and stimuli-responsive shell.
- To investigate the encapsulation efficiency of hydrophobic drugs within these 2D platelets.
- To evaluate the pH-responsive drug release characteristics of the developed platelet systems.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a seeded growth method for creating 2D platelets with a poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) core, poly(4-vinylprydine) (P4VP) hydrophobic segment, and poly(N,N-dimethyl acrylamide) (PDMA) water-dispersible block.
- Employed hydrophobic interactions for encapsulating a model hydrophobic drug within the P4VP segments.
- Studied drug release kinetics in aqueous media at different pH values to assess responsiveness.
Main Results:
- Successfully synthesized uniform 2D platelets with low dispersity and precisely controlled chemistry.
- Demonstrated efficient encapsulation of hydrophobic drugs within the P4VP segments of the platelets.
- Observed significant pH-responsive drug release, with faster release in acidic conditions due to P4VP protonation.
Conclusions:
- Developed biocompatible PCL-based 2D platelets with tunable composition and low dispersity.
- Established a platform for hydrophobic drug encapsulation and controlled, pH-responsive release.
- These findings offer promising insights for advanced stimulus-responsive drug delivery systems.
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