BIOCOMPATIBLE PARTICLES BASED ON BLOCK-COPOLYMER AGGREGATES FOR INTRAVASCULAR ADMINISTRATION

The aggregation between hydrophobic/hydrophilic block copolymer unimers in water was analyzed. Based on the molecular weight and composition of the block polymer, the number of unimers in each particulate aggregate, the size of the particle and the size of the particle core, the average distance between the solvated chains attached to the micelle core was calculated. The distance between the terminally attached chains was compared with the Flory radius R(f) which was related to the extent that the chains were forced to stay in the ''brush'' conformation. By selecting the proper structure of block copolymer, micelles composed of water-soluble polymer chains were prepared with a ''near ideal'' saturated surface.