Microfluidically fabricated pH-responsive anionic amphiphilic microgels for drug release

Lu, B.; Tarn, M. D.; Pamme, N.; Georgiou, T. K.

Abstract

© 2016 The Royal Society of Chemistry. Amphiphilic microgels of different composition based on the hydrophilic, pH-responsive acrylic acid (AA) and the hydrophobic, non-ionic n-butyl acrylate (BuA) were synthesised using a lab-on-a-chip device. Hydrophobic droplets were generated via a microfluidic platform that contained a protected form of AA, BuA, the hydrophobic crosslinker, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), and a free radical initiator in an organic solvent. These hydrophobic droplets were photopolymerised within the microfluidic channels and subsequently hydrolysed, enabling an integrated platform for the rapid, automated, and in situ production of anionic amphiphilic microgels. The amphiphilic microgels did not feature the conventional core-shell structure but were instead based on random amphiphilic copolymers of AA and BuA and hydrophobic crosslinks. Due to their amphiphilic nature they were able to encapsulate and deliver both hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties. The model drug delivery and the swelling ability of the microgels were influenced by the pH of the surrounding aqueous solution and the hydrophobic content of the microgels.

Citation

Lu, B., Tarn, M. D., Pamme, N., & Georgiou, T. K. (2016). Microfluidically fabricated pH-responsive anionic amphiphilic microgels for drug release. Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 4(18), 3086-3093. https://doi.org/10.1039/c5tb02378e

• Acceptance Date: Dec 26, 2015
• Online Publication Date: Dec 29, 2015
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2016
• Deposit Date: Jan 6, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 6, 2016
• Journal: Journal of materials chemistry B
• Print ISSN: 2050-750X
• Electronic ISSN: 2050-7518
• Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 4
• Issue: 18
• Pages: 3086-3093
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/c5tb02378e
• Keywords: Amphiphilic microgels, pH-responsive acrylic acid , Drug release
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/383812
• Publisher URL: http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2015/TB/C5TB02378E#!divAbstract
• Additional Information: : This document is Similarity Check deposited; : The Royal Society of Chemistry has an exclusive publication licence for this journal; OPEN ACCESS: This article is freely available. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported Licence (CC BY-NC 3.0); : Single-blind; : Received 13 November 2015; Accepted 26 December 2015; Accepted Manuscript published 29 December 2015; Advance Article published 12 January 2016; Version of Record published 4 May 2016