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Engineering surface properties through controlled radical polymerization for therapeutic application
Kani, Wakana G. Humpal, Adam Kumar, Ramya
Kani, Wakana G.
Humpal, Adam
Kumar, Ramya
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2024-04
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Abstract
Polymers play an integral role in therapeutic applications, especially in the development of drug delivery systems. Advancements in controlled polymerization have allowed for a greater control of polymer architecture. This work explores the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of hydrophobic polymers in alcohol-water media to find reaction conditions balancing an increased reaction rate while maintaining consistency and stability. The rate of polymerization was tuned by adjusting reactant ratios, altering the rate of radical formation and deactivation. Different solvent properties were studied as ATRP relies on water for a controlled reaction, necessitating a delicate balance with the alcohol required to solubilize the monomer. More protic solvents were shown to increase the reaction rate, but resulted in decreased control due to a higher probability of termination events. After successfully developing optimized reactions, the work is translated to polymerization on nanoparticles for drug delivery applications. The effects of pH and ion concentration on polymer swelling are studied through film characterization using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential, measuring the changes in film thickness and surface charge.
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