Lyotropic liquid crystal elastomers for drug delivery.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Engineering

Background:

• Silicone elastomers, such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), are widely used in biomedical applications due to their favorable material and biological properties.
• There is a growing interest in developing functionalized elastomers for drug delivery to enhance medical device capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel silicone-based lyotropic liquid crystal elastomers with integrated drug-eluting functionality.
• To investigate the properties and drug release profiles of these new elastomer compositions.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of silicone-based lyotropic liquid crystal elastomers using PDMS and diacrylated Pluronic F127 (DA-F127).
• Evaluation of various ternary PDMS-DA-F127-H2O compositions.
• Characterization of selected compositions for nanostructure, mechanical properties, water retention, and morphology.
• Assessment of drug encapsulation and release using vancomycin (polar) and ibuprofen (nonpolar) as model drugs.

Main Results:

• Three specific PDMS-DA-F127-H2O compositions were identified with desirable properties.
• The developed elastomers demonstrated the capacity to encapsulate and release both polar and nonpolar drugs.
• Sustained drug release was observed for up to 6 days for vancomycin and 5 days for ibuprofen.

Conclusions:

• Silicone-based lyotropic liquid crystal elastomers with drug-eluting capabilities were successfully developed.
• These materials exhibit tailorable mechanical properties and water retention.
• The elastomers can host and provide sustained release of both polar and nonpolar active substances, showing promise for advanced biomedical applications.