Polypropylene Graft Poly(methyl methacrylate) Graft Poly(-vinylimidazole) as a Smart Material for pH-Controlled Drug Delivery.

Surface modification of polypropylene (PP) films was achieved using gamma-irradiation-induced grafting to provide an adequate surface capable of carrying glycopeptide antibiotics. The copolymer was obtained following a versatile two-step route; pristine PP was exposed to gamma rays and grafted with methyl methacrylate (MMA), and afterward, the film was grafted with -vinylimidazole (NVI) by simultaneous irradiation. Characterization included Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and physicochemical analysis of swelling and contact angle. The new material (PP--MMA)--NVI was loaded with vancomycin to quantify the release by UV-vis spectrophotometry at different pH. The surface of (PP--MMA)--NVI exhibited pH-responsiveness and moderate hydrophilicity, which are suitable properties for controlled drug release.