Spatial Distribution of Hydrophobic Drugs in Model Nanogel-Core Star Polymers.

ABSTRACT: Star polymers with a cross-linked nanogel core are promising carriers of cargo for therapeutic applications due to the synthetic control of amphiphilicity of arms and stability at infinite dilution. Three nanogel-core star polymers were investigated to understand how the arm-block chemical structure controls loading efficiency of a model drug, ibuprofen, and its spatial distribution. The spatial distribution profiles of hydrophobic core, hydrophilic corona, and encapsulated drug were determined by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). SANS provides the nanometer-scale sensitivity to determine how the arm-block chemistry enhances the sequestering of ibuprofen. Validated molecular dynamics simulations capture the trends in drug profile and polymer segment distribution with further details o

SUBMITTER: Wei G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7340276 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature