INFLUENCE OF LIPOPHILIC AND HYDROPHILIC CO-MONOMERS ON THE HYDRODYNAMIC DIAMETER OF THERMOSENSITIVE NIPA DERIVATIVES FOR THERMALLY CONTROLLED DRUG DELIVERY.

For modem drug delivery, new drug carriers sensitive to various factors and with size in the range of micro- and nanometers are required. The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of hydrophilic and hydrophobic co-monomers on the hydrodynamic diameter of three co-polymers of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPA) nanogels synthesized at 70*C in the presence of potassium persulfate (KPS) as the initiator and N.N'-methylene bis-acrylamide (MBA) as the cross-linker. The first batch of nanoparticles was synthesized without co-monomer, whereas poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate (PEG-MEA), and N-teii-butylacrylamide (NTB), were implemented as co-monomers for the second and third batch. Hydrodynamic diameter of nanoparticles was in the range 550-800 rn. The compositions of the synthesized co-polymer nanoparticles were con- firmed via IR and NMR analyses. The SFPP conditions resulted in hydrodynamic diameters ranging from approximately 550 to 800 nm at temperatures lower than the volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) and diameters ranging from 250 to 600 nm at temperatures above the VPTT, where the VPTT was between 26 and 41'C. The polydispersity index (PDI) showed a maximum or a minimum value at the VPTT, which was an important indicator of the volume phase transition. According to the PDI observation during thermal cycling, the addition of NTB into the polymeric chain resulted in maximal values of the PDI at the VPIT, similar to the case of nanoparticles without any additional co-monomers. In contrast, in the case of PEG-MEA, the PDI presented a minimal value. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) volume measurements, performed simultaneously with spectral methods, may lead to a fast evaluation of nanoparticles prepared by SFPP.