Synthesis and characterisation of thermo-sensitive terpolymer hydrogels for drug delivery applications

In this study, thermo-sensitive terpolymer hydrogels based on N-tert-butylacrylamide (NtBAAm), N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) and N-vinyl pyrrolidone (NVP) were successfully photopolymerised and characterised. 1-hydroxy-cyclohexylphenylketone (Irgacure 184) and 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-propanone (Irgacure 2959) were used as light-sensitive initiators to initiate the reactions. Chemical structures of the hydrogels were confirmed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The hydrogels were also characterised using modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC) for their glass transition and phase transition temperatures. A single glass transition temperature (Tg) was observed, further confirming successful formation of a terpolymer. The hydrogels were thermo-responsive, exhibiting a decrease in lower critical solution temperature (LCST) as the NtBAAm weight ratio was increased. Pulsatile swelling studies indicated that the hydrogels had thermo-reversible properties and the swelling properties were dependent on test temperature, monomer feed ratios and crosslinker content. The proposed hydrogel system could find applications in a broader field of gel/drug interaction, for the development of controlled release and targeted delivery devices.