Smart Delivery Systems with Shape Memory and Self-Folding Polymers

New generation delivery systems involve smart materials such as shape memory and self-folding polymers. Shape memory polymers revert back to their original shape above their glass transition temperatures where this temperature change can be induced conventionally, photolytically, with a lazer or magnetically depending on the composition of the material. This ability to assume original shape upon a trigger can be used in delivering drugs, DNA or cells. Self folding polymers are a new class of materials which may be composed of multilayers with different thermal expansion coefficients or with hinges that allow folding upon being triggered. These new materials allow various architectural designs of smart delivery vehicles predominantly for DNA and cells. The aim of this chapter is given shape and folding polymers and their usage for drug delivery systems

Preparation and in vitro characterization of monoclonal antibody ranibizumab conjugated magnetic nanoparticles for ocular drug delivery

Gold coated magnetite nanoparticles were prepared and coated with ranibizumab as an ocular drug delivery system. The surface morphologies of the nanoparticles were determined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The size and surface charge were determined by using the dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique. Crystallographic properties of the gold coated Fe3 O4 nanoparticles were recorded on X-ray diffractometer (XRD) the XRD pattern of nanoparticlees were shown to have uniqe Fe3 O4 and gold peaks.Conjugation of ranibizumab onto nanoparticles was achieved using the physical adsorption method. The amount of ranibizumab on the surface of the nanoparticles was determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). In the in vitro release studies performed using UV spectroscopy; it was found that almost 60% of antibodies were released within the first 30 minutes. Antibody activity after release studies was also proved with ELISA. Non-toxicity of gold coated Fe3 O4 particles were proved with MTT. Results of the studies, showed that the antibody conjugated magnetic nanoparticle system could be a potential treatment system for ocular diseases

The polymerisation of oligo(ethylene glycol methyl ether) methacrylate from a multifunctional poly(ethylene imine) derived amide: a stabiliser for the synthesis and dispersion of magnetite nanoparticles

A facile synthetic route to poly(ethylene imine)-graft-poly(oligo(ethylene glycol methyl ether)) (PEI-graft-POEGMA) functionalised superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles is described. The polymerisation of OEGMA from a model molecular amide demonstrated the feasibility of POEGMA synthesis under mild ATRP conditions (20 °C in ethanol) albeit with low initiator efficiencies. DFT studies suggest that the amide functionality is intrinsically of lower activity than ester functional monomers and initiators for atom transfer polymerisation (ATRP) as a consequence of higher bond dissociation energies and bond dissociation free energies (BDFE). However these studies further highlighted that use of an appropriate solvent could reduce the free energy of dissociation thereby reducing the relative difference in BDFE between the ester and amide groups. A commercial branched PEI sample was functionalised by reaction with 2-bromo-2-methylpropanoyl bromide giving an amide macroinitiator suitable for the atom transfer radical polymerisation (ATRP) of oligo(ethylene glycol methyl ether) methacrylate. The resulting PEI-graft-POEGMA copolymers were characterised by SEC, FT-IR and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. PEI-graft-POEGMA coated magnetite nanoparticles were synthesised by a basic aqueous co-precipitation method and were characterised by transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and vibrating sample magnetometry and dynamic light scattering. These copolymer coated magnetite nanoparticles were demonstrated to be effectively stabilised in an aqueous medium. Overall the particle sizes and magnetic and physical properties of the coated samples were similar to those of uncoated samples

Nanotubes and bilayers in a model peptide system

The trifluoroacetate (tfa) salt of the peptide (ala)(6)lys self-assembles in water into very long, hollow nanotubes with a radius R = 26 nm, above a critical aggregation concentration (volume fraction), phi(cac) = 0.10. The peptides carry a net positive charge that ensures colloidal stability of the self-assembly structures through a long-range electrostatic repulsion. There is only a weak temperature dependence of phi(cac) from which an enthalpy of aggregation of -k(B)T per molecule is estimated. SAXS data show that the thickness of the nanotube wall, delta, is less than 1 nm indicating that the peptides form a monolayer in the nanotube wall. The nanotubes have a very large aspect ratio and form an ordered nematic or hexagonal phase. Because of the low delta/R ratio, the nanotube volume fraction grows very rapidly with increasing peptide concentration, phi, and reaches close packing already at phi = 0.15. When increasing the concentration further, there is a phase transition to a novel lamellar phase where the peptide molecules form bilayers consisting of two, presumably oppositely oriented, monolayers

Aqueous Self-Assembly within the Homologous Peptide Series A(n)K

We compare the aqueous self-assembly behavior within the homologous peptide series A(n)K, where A is alanine, K is lysine, and n = 4, 6, 8, and 10. The aqueous peptide solubility, phi(s) (volume fraction), depends strongly on the number of hydrophobic alanine residues and decreases approximately as phi(s) approximate to 10(-n). Also the self-assembly structure depends on n. A(4)K is highly water-soluble and shows no relevant self-assembly. A(6)K, which has been extensively studied previously, forms hollow nanotubes in water. A(8)K and A(10)K self-assembly is characterized here using a combination of small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering, static and dynamic light scattering, cryo transmission electron microscopy, and circular dichroism spectroscopy. They both form similar thin rodlike aggregates with lengths on the order of 100 nm and a biaxial cross-section with dimensions of 4 nrn x 8 nm. We show that different sample preparation protocols result in different lengths of the A(10)K rodlike aggregates. On the basis of these findings, the question of thermodynamic equilibrium of peptide self-assembly is discussed

The effect of functionalized silver nanoparticles over the thermal conductivity of base fluids

Thermal conductivities of nanofluids are expected to be higher than common heat transfer fluids. The use of metal nanoparticles has not been intensely investigated for heat transfer applications due to lack of stability. Here we present an experimental study on the effect of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) which are stabilized with surfactants, on the thermal conductivity of water, ethylene glycol and hexane. Hydrophilic Ag NPs were synthesized in aqueous medium with using gum arabic as surfactant and oleic acid/oleylamine were used to stabilize Ag NPs in the organic phase. The enhancement up to 10 per cent in effective thermal conductivity of hexane and ethylene glycol was achieved with addition of Ag NPs at considerably low concentrations (i.e. 2 and 1 per cent, by weight, for hexane and ethylene glycol respectively). However, almost 10 per cent of deterioration was recorded at effective thermal conductivity of water when Ag NPs were added at 1 per cent (by wt). Considerable amount of Gum Arabic in the medium is shown to be the major contributor to this fall, causing lowering of thermal conductivity of water. Same particles performed much better in ethylene glycol where the stabilizer does not lower the thermal conductivity of the base fluid. Also thermal conductivity of nanofluids was found to be temperature independent except water based Ag nanofluids above a threshold concentration. This temperature dependency is suggested to be due to inhibition of hydrogen bonding among water molecules in the presence of high amounts of gum arabic