Smart temperature responsive polymers with LCST at fever temperature

International Conference on Smart Materials & Structures

June 15 -17, 2015 Las Vegas, USA

Ezat Khosravi

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Material Sci Eng

Abstract :

The synthesis and development of smart polymers that can respond to external stimuli such as pH, temperature and light has been the main focus of current research. The temperature responsive materials with low critical solution temperatures (LCST) in the physiological range (30-40oC) attract much attention due to their potential biomedical applications and drug delivery systems. Poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) has been the most studied temperature responsive homo-polymer exhibiting LCST in water around 32oC which is close to the lower end of the physiological range. The efforts have been made to tune the LCST of PNIPAM to around 37oC by variation in hydrophilic or hydrophobic co-monomer content, for different biomedical applications. The lecture presented here discusses the synthesis and characterisation of potentially biocompatible and biodegradable smart polymeric materials exhibiting LCST within 38-40oC, known as fever temperature. It will first demonstrate the synthesis of a novel temperature responsive water-soluble glycopolymer via copper wire-catalysed click-polymerisationwith an LCST at 39oC. Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PNVCL) also exhibits an LCST in aqueous solution. PVNCL prepared by classical free radical polymerisation exhibits an LCST at 33oC.The lecture will then demonstrate that the application of RAFT for the polymerisation of N-vinyl caprolactam using a range of custom synthesised RAFT agents will produce PNVCLexhibiting LCST within the range of 38-40oC.The investigation of the cloud point of the aqueous solutions of these smart materials by optical microscopy and UV-Vis spectroscopy will also be discussed.