Blending hydrogel with an amphiphilic polymer can increase the hydrophobic drug loading and entrapment efficiency of hydrogel-based formulations. In this study, a hydrogel formulation with ...star-shaped polycaprolactone-b-poly(ethylene glycol) (PCL-
-PEG) as the hydrophobic drug cargo is produced. The 4-arm and 6-arm star-shaped PCL are synthesized with different molecular weights (5000, 10,000, 15,000 g/mol) via ROP and MPEG as the hydrophilic segment is attached via the Steglich esterification. FTIR and
H-NMR analysis showed the presence of all functional groups for homopolymers and copolymers. M
for all synthesized polymers is close to the theoretical value while GPC spectra showed a monomodal peak with narrow molecular weight distribution (PDI:1.01-1.25). The thermal degradation temperature and crystalline melting point of synthesized polymers increase with the increase in molecular weight and number of arms. All formulations possess high drug loading and entrapment efficiency (>99%) and increase with increasing molecular weight, number of arms, and amount of polymer in the formulations. All formulations showed a sustained drug release pattern with no initial burst, which follows the Korsmeyer-Peppas kinetic model. The polymer hydrogel formulations showed antibacterial activity against
and
. The hydrogel containing 4-arm PCL
-PEG is chosen as the best formulation due to its high drug release, good antimicrobial activity, and morphology.
Recently, drug delivery systems based on nanoparticles for cancer treatment have become the centre of attention for researchers to design and fabricate drug carriers for anti-cancer drugs due to the ...lack of tumour-targeting activity in conventional pharmaceuticals. Poly(caprolactone)-
-poly(ethylene glycol) (PCL-PEG)-based micelles have attracted significant attention as a potential drug carrier intended for human use. Since their first discovery, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved polymers have been studied extensively for various biomedical applications, specifically cancer therapy. The application of PCL-PEG micelles in different cancer therapies has been recorded in countless research studies for their efficacy as drug cargos. However, systematic studies on the effectiveness of PCL-PEG micelles of specific cancers for pharmaceutical applications are still lacking. As breast cancer is reported as the most prevalent cancer worldwide, we aim to systematically review all available literature that has published research findings on the PCL-PEG-based micelles as drug cargo for therapy. We further discussed the preparation method and the anti-tumour efficacy of the micelles. Using a prearranged search string, Scopus and Science Direct were selected as the databases for the systematic searching strategy. Only eight of the 314 articles met the inclusion requirements and were used for data synthesis. From the review, all studies reported the efficiency of PCL-PEG-based micelles, which act as drug cargo for breast cancer therapy.
The administration of poorly water-soluble drugs represents a relevant problem due to the low body fluids transport efficiency through hydrophilic hydrogels. Star-shaped co-polymers, i.e., ...amphiphilic polymers such as those with a hydrophobic core and a hydrophilic outer shell, can be used to improve weak interactions with drugs, with relevant benefits in terms of administration and controlled delivery. In this work, two different co-polymers, four-arm star-shaped PCL-PEG and six-arm star-shaped PCL-PEG, were synthesized via ring-opening polymerization to be loaded with ciprofloxacin.
H-NMR and FTIR analyses confirmed that PCL arms were successfully grafted to the mPEG backbone, while DSC analysis indicated similar crystallinity and melting point, ranging from 56 to 60 °C, independent of the different co-polymer architecture. Therefore, both star-shaped PCL-PEGs were investigated as cargo device for ciprofloxacin. No significant differences were observed in terms of drug entrapment efficiency (>95%) and drug release, characterized by a pronounced burst followed by a slow sustained release, only slightly affected by the co-polymer architecture. This result was also confirmed with curve fitting via the Korsmeyer-Peppas model. Lastly, good antibacterial properties and biocompatibility exhibited in both star-shaped PCL-PEG co-polymers suggest a promising use for oral delivery applications.
•Kaolin was successfully developed as an efficient phenol adsorbent with a maximum percentage removal of 92.19 %.•The optimum conditions obtained were at pH 1.6, 40 mins, 50 mg/L initial phenol ...concentration, and 2 g of kaolin.•The adsorption phenol onto kaolin process fit Freundlich isotherm and Pseudo Second Order kinetic model.•QTAIM and RDG-NCI analyses revealed that kaolin removes phenol due to the hydrogen bonding interaction.•The Frontier Molecular Orbital (FMO) reveals mechanistic insight into phenol adsorption.
The discharge of phenols into the aquatic environment has detrimentally affected human health and the aquatic ecosystem. Hence, removing phenols from polluted water bodies has been a global concern. In this study, a natural and low-cost adsorbent, kaolin, was used to remove phenol from aqueous solutions. Experimental and computational approaches were applied to optimize the removal efficiency and provide mechanistic insight into the phenol removal process. Based on the response surface methodology findings, the optimum conditions were pH 1.6, 40 min, 50 mg/L, and 2 g with 92.19 % maximum percentage removal. The regeneration test shows that kaolin retained over 76.76 % of adsorption capacities. SEM and FESEM reveals the surface morphology and effectiveness of kaolin as phenol removal. The best fit for the Isotherm adsorption for the phenol on kaolin is Freundlich isotherm, which indicated multilayer adsorption. The hydroxyl group from phenol (-OH) and the siloxane group of kaolin (Si-O-Si) shifted, suggesting the presence of a hydrogen bond between kaolin and phenol during adsorption, as determined by one- and two-dimensional IR spectroscopy. Density functional theory calculations were used to support the experimental results by providing information on the Mulliken charge and electronic transition of the complex to improve understanding of the adsorption of phenol on kaolin. Based on the quantum theory of atoms in molecules analysis (QTAIM) and the reduced density gradient non-covalent interaction (RDG-NCI) technique, the chemical reaction occurring during the removal of phenol by kaolin was determined to occur through hydrogen bonding and classified as an intermediate type (∇2ρ(r) > 0 and H < 0). Further characterizations employing molecular electrostatic potential, global reactivity, and local reactivity descriptors were conducted to investigate the mechanism of the phenol adsorption on kaolin. The findings demonstrated that phenol functions as an electrophile while kaolin acts as a nucleophile during the formation of hydrogen bonds, where the interaction occurred between the O2 atom of kaolin (electron donor) and the H13 atom of phenol (electron acceptor).
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Due to its unique properties, graphene and its derivatives have been actively explored for various biological applications. However, Graphene Oxide (GO) clinical translation has been difficult due to ...non-specific protein adsorption and poor stability. One way to address this issue is by functionalizing GO with a biocompatible polymer, poly(ethylene glycol), PEG. Despite earlier research, the goal of this study was to establish a new method for functionalizing GO with PEG using the Steglich esterification reaction. In the esterification reaction, the carboxylate end group of PEG underwent coupling reaction with the hydroxyl group of the GO sheet to produce desired ester linkage. The fourier transform infrared spectra showed the presence of C–H stretch and C–O stretch of the PEG backbone at 2927 cm
−1
and 1144 cm
−1
, respectively, confirmed the coupling reaction of GO-g-PEG. In the nuclear magnetic resonance analysis, a multiplet methylene peak of PEG was observed at 2.45 ppm; this peak was shifted up field to a lower ppm due to the presence of a diamagnetic ring of GO. Due to the strong intermolecular interactions between GO and PEG, thermogravimetric analysis of GO-g-PEG reveals improved thermal stability. SEM analysis shows the surface morphology of the PEG embedded on the GO indicating successful interaction via covalent bond formation between GO and the PEG. Based on the manifested result, our proposed methodology successfully showed that the PEG had attached to the hydroxyl group of GO sheets.
Blending hydrogel with an amphiphilic polymer can increase the hydrophobic drug loading and entrapment efficiency of hydrogel-based formulations. In this study, a hydrogel formulation with ...star-shaped polycaprolactone-b-poly(ethylene glycol) (PCL-b-PEG) as the hydrophobic drug cargo is produced. The 4-arm and 6-arm star-shaped PCL are synthesized with different molecular weights (5000, 10,000, 15,000 g/mol) via ROP and MPEG as the hydrophilic segment is attached via the Steglich esterification. FTIR and sup.1H-NMR analysis showed the presence of all functional groups for homopolymers and copolymers. Msub.n for all synthesized polymers is close to the theoretical value while GPC spectra showed a monomodal peak with narrow molecular weight distribution (PDI:1.01-1.25). The thermal degradation temperature and crystalline melting point of synthesized polymers increase with the increase in molecular weight and number of arms. All formulations possess high drug loading and entrapment efficiency (>99%) and increase with increasing molecular weight, number of arms, and amount of polymer in the formulations. All formulations showed a sustained drug release pattern with no initial burst, which follows the Korsmeyer-Peppas kinetic model. The polymer hydrogel formulations showed antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus. The hydrogel containing 4-arm PCLsub.15k-PEG is chosen as the best formulation due to its high drug release, good antimicrobial activity, and morphology.
Human activities generate excess nutrients that can lead to harmful algal blooms (HABs), which are increasing in number and severity worldwide, causing significant ecological problems and substantial ...economic losses. Cost-effective polymeric films with ease of operation represent a promising and sustainable alternative to traditional HABs mitigation methods in various aquatic systems. In this study, composite polymer films, specifically polycaprolactone with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PCL/PMMA) and polycaprolactone with polyethylene glycol (PCL/PEG), were employed for algae mitigation. To the best of our knowledge, no prior studies have explored the application of PCL/PMMA and PCL/PEG composite polymer films for algae mitigation. These films were prepared using solvent casting methods. The successfully prepared film ratios were 1:0.2, 1:0.4, and 1:0.6. ATR-FTIR analysis confirmed the successful preparation of PCL/PMMA and PCL/PEG by detecting characteristic functional group peaks corresponding to each pure polymer, suggesting the possibility of non-covalent bond interactions between the polymers in the composites. Thermal analysis (TGA) indicated increased thermal stability for all film ratios. Algae mitigation studies form light microscope analysis showed the presence of algal cells within the composite. Removal efficiency improved with higher ratios of these composite polymer films, with PCL/PMMA outperforming PCL/PEG. Notably, the 1:0.4 PCL/PMMA film exhibited highly efficient algae removal, with interactions between microalgae cells and the film observed within a shorter time. This film achieved the highest removal efficiency of 10.6% within a 15-min interval compared to others. From this preliminary study, the composite polymer films show good potential and promising candidate for mitigating algae-related issues.
Star-shaped polymers have vast potential in bioapplication due to their architecture. In this study, 4 -arm star-shaped of poly(ԑ-caprolactone) (4s PCL) with -OH terminal and average molecular weight ...(Mn) of 5, 10, and 15 kDa, were synthesized via ring opening polymerization, (ROP) of ԑ-caprolactone (ԑ-CL) using a symmetric pentaerythritol (PET) as the core. Different molecular weight were obtained by using different ratio of ԑ-CL and PET in the presence of catalyst, stannous octoate (Sn(Oct)2). The FTIR spectra showed the presence of bands of methylene group of polymer repeating chain which confirm ROP of the ԑ-caprolactone. The molecular weight (Mn) determined from 1H NMR analysis showed that all 4s PCLs have approximately the same molecular weight as the theoretical values. TGA and DSC analysis showed a single step degradation for all 4s PCL and the crystallization melting point of the polymers within the range of melting point of PCL.
Recently, drug delivery systems based on nanoparticles for cancer treatment have become the centre of attention for researchers to design and fabricate drug carriers for anti-cancer drugs due to the ...lack of tumour-targeting activity in conventional pharmaceuticals. Poly(caprolactone)-b-poly(ethylene glycol) (PCL-PEG)-based micelles have attracted significant attention as a potential drug carrier intended for human use. Since their first discovery, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved polymers have been studied extensively for various biomedical applications, specifically cancer therapy. The application of PCL-PEG micelles in different cancer therapies has been recorded in countless research studies for their efficacy as drug cargos. However, systematic studies on the effectiveness of PCL-PEG micelles of specific cancers for pharmaceutical applications are still lacking. As breast cancer is reported as the most prevalent cancer worldwide, we aim to systematically review all available literature that has published research findings on the PCL-PEG-based micelles as drug cargo for therapy. We further discussed the preparation method and the anti-tumour efficacy of the micelles. Using a prearranged search string, Scopus and Science Direct were selected as the databases for the systematic searching strategy. Only eight of the 314 articles met the inclusion requirements and were used for data synthesis. From the review, all studies reported the efficiency of PCL-PEG-based micelles, which act as drug cargo for breast cancer therapy.
