Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2G2.
J Mater Chem B. 2022 Jun 15;10(23):4416-4430. doi: 10.1039/d2tb00364c.
Stimuli-responsive hydrogel-microgel composites (HMC) were prepared by embedding poly(-isopropylacrylamide)-based microgels in a poly(-isopropylacrylamide)-based hydrogel. When the microgels were pre-loaded with the small molecule model drug crystal violet (CV) electrostatics, the HMC was able to release the CV in a pH-triggered fashion. We found that the CV release rate was dependent on the solution temperature and the dimension of the material. Also, by changing the chemical composition and/or pore size of the hydrogel matrix, the CV release kinetics can be tuned. Moreover, when multiple microgels loaded with different model drugs were embedded in a single HMC, the HMC can be used to control the release rate of each drug analog individually in a pH-dependent fashion. By understanding how properties of a hydrogel can alter the release of small molecules from embedded microgels, new materials capable of controlled and triggered release of multiple small molecule drugs can be designed with myriad uses in the biomedical field.
刺激响应水凝胶-微凝胶复合材料（HMC）是通过将基于聚（异丙基丙烯酰胺）的微凝胶嵌入基于聚（异丙基丙烯酰胺）的水凝胶中制备的。当微凝胶预先加载小分子模型药物结晶紫（CV）时，HMC 能够以 pH 触发的方式释放 CV。我们发现 CV 的释放速率取决于溶液温度和材料的尺寸。此外，通过改变水凝胶基质的化学成分和/或孔径，可以调节 CV 的释放动力学。此外，当将负载有不同模型药物的多个微凝胶嵌入单个 HMC 中时，可以使用 HMC 以 pH 依赖的方式单独控制每种药物类似物的释放速率。通过了解水凝胶的性质如何改变嵌入的微凝胶中小分子的释放，可以设计出具有多种用途的新型材料，能够控制和触发多种小分子药物的释放。
