Design and Development of Thermally Responsive Copolymers for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

The design and development of polymeric materials capable of responding to an external newlinestimulus has been receiving a consistent focus for drug delivery system, protein delivery, newlinebioprinting and tissue engineering applications. These smart polymers mimicking the newlinebiological system in a controllable and predictable fashion that challenges researcher to newlinedevelope new stimuli responsive polymeric system for specific biomedical applications. newlinePoly (N-isopropylacryl amide) is most widely studied temperature responsive polymer. A newlinemajority of previous studies deal with the improving of mechanical strength and newlinemodification of the surfaces of polymers. There is no adequate literature available in newlinerespect to PNIPAM based hydrogels that show dual responsive i.e. temperature as well as newlineelectric field tiggred release of drug molecules through hydrogels. These research works newlinecover the general area of thermo responsive polymers/hydrogels and encompass method newlineof fabrication hydrogel based drug delivery systems for controlled and targeted newlinetherapeutic applications. newlineThe first part of this thesis consists of fundamental aspects of the synthesis, newlinefunctionalization and characterization of thermo responsive copolymer constructed from newlineN-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and functional comonomer 2-acrylamido-2- newlinemethylpropane sulphonic acid (AMPS) using poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) as newlinemacroinititator. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), H1 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance newline(NMR) confirmed the copolymerization between N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), 2- newlineacrylamido-2-methylpropane sulphonic acid (AMPS), poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG). newlineWhile second part of the thesis focuses on the preparation of micro and bulk hydrogels. newlineIn particular, the roles of ionic monomer on swelling-deswelling transition of hydrogels newlineon exposure to a range of environmental stimuli including temperature, salt concentration newlinewere discussed.