• Macromolecular Research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.269-275
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• 2004

To graft N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) onto alginate, varying dosages of ${\gamma}$-rays were irradiated onto alginate films in deionized water and methanol media, which are non-solvents of alginate. We investigated the hydrogels graft ratio, mechanical strength, swelling kinetics and ratio, and behavior with respect to drug release. The graft yield of NIPAAm increased upon increasing the irradiation dose. The use of the aqueous solution increased the graft yield relative to that obtained in methanol. The mechanical strength of the grafted hydrogels increased after grafting with NIPAAm. In a study of the swelling kinetics, we found that all hydrogels reached an equilibrium swollen state within 3 h. The equilibrium swelling ratio of the hydrogels decreased upon increasing the irradiation dose. The swelling ratio of the hydrogels decreased dramatically between 30 and 35$^{\circ}C$ because phase separation of NIPAAm occurred at 32$^{\circ}C$. The swelling process, with respect to the temperature change, was repeatable. An NIPAAm-grafted alginate containing a drug sustained its release rate until 3 h after an initial high drug release caused by a burst effect.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.851-853
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• 2005

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1629-1630
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• 2004

• Korean Membrane Journal
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2007

To prepare chemically stable asymmetric microporous membranes with a hydrophilic surface, which would be expected to have better antifouling properties, poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) blend membranes were prepared by the phase inversion process. PVDF mixture solutions in N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) blended with several polar potential ionic polymers such as polyacrylonitrile (PAN), poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (NIPAM) were used for the formation of the PVDF blend membranes. They were then characterized with several analytical methods such as FESEM, FTIR, contact angle measurement, pore size distribution and permeability measurement. Regardless of different polar polymers blended, they all showed a finger-like structure with more hydrophilic surface than the pristine PVDF membrane. For all the PVDF blend membrane, due to the polar potential ionic polymers used, the flux of those was improved. Especially the PVDF blend membrane with NIPAM showed the highest flux among the membranes prepared. Also antifouling property of the PVDF membrane was improved by the use of the polar polymers.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 2014

Background: Hydrogels are a class of polymers that can absorb water or biological fluids and swell to several times their dry volume, dependent on changes in the external environment. In recent years, hydrogels and hydrogel nanocomposites have found a variety of biomedical applications, including drug delivery and cancer treatment. The incorporation of nanoparticulates into a hydrogel matrix can result in unique material characteristics such as enhanced mechanical properties, swelling response, and capability of remote controlled actuation. Materials and Methods: In this work, synthesis of hydrogel nanocomposites containing magnetic nanoparticles are studied. At first, magnetic nanoparticles ($Fe_3O_4$) with an average size 10 nm were prepared. At second approach, thermo and pH-sensitive poly (N-isopropylacrylamide -co-methacrylic acid-co-vinyl pyrrolidone) (NIPAAm-MAA-VP) were prepared. Swelling behavior of co-polymer was studied in buffer solutions with different pH values (pH=5.8, pH=7.4) at $37^{\circ}C$. Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles ($Fe_3O_4$) and doxorubicin were incorporated into copolymer and drug loading was studied. The release of drug, carried out at different pH and temperatures. Finally, chemical composition, magnetic properties and morphology of doxorubicin-loaded magnetic hydrogel nanocomposites were analyzed by FT- IR, vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results: The results indicated that drug loading efficiency was increased by increasing the drug ratio to polymer. Doxorubicin was released more at $40^{\circ}C$ and in acidic pH compared to that $37^{\circ}C$ and basic pH. Conclusions: This study suggested that the poly (NIPAAm-MAA-VP) magnetic hydrogel nanocomposite could be an effective carrier for targeting drug delivery systems of anti-cancer drugs due to its temperature sensitive properties.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.115-121
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• 2002

Synthesis of polymers with controlled thermosensitive properties was carried out by conventional radical copolymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) with N-vinylpyrrolidone (NVP) taken as a hydrophilic comonomer. Lower activity of NVP rather than NIPAAm was revealed by gravimetric and $^1$H NMR analysis. Thermosensitive properties of the copolymers were investigated. It was found that aqueous solutions of the copolymers undergo thermo-induced phase transition and become opaque, precipitate or gel with heating. After formation of the gels their significant contraction was observed at storage. Swelling degree and amount of expelled water were measured in dependence on the copolymer composition, temperature and ionic strength of environment medium and concentration of the solution. It was determined that in collapsed state gels exhibit quite high water content. According to physico-chemical properties of the copolymers observed they could be suitable for biomedical application as an injectable implant material.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.139-148
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• 2008

Biodegradable and elastic poly(L-lactide-co-$\varepsilon$-caprolactone) (PLCL) was electrospun to prepare nanofibers, and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) was then grafted onto their surfaces under aqueous conditions using $^{60}Co-{\gamma}$ irradiation. The graft yield increased with increasing irradiation dose from 5 to 10 kGy and the nanofibers showed a greater graft yield compared with the firms. SEM confirmed that the PLCL nanofibers maintained an interconnected pore structure after grafting with NIPAAm. However, overdoses of irradiation led to the excessive formation of homopolymer gels on the surface of thc PLCL nanofibers. The equilibrium swelling and deswelling ratio of the PNIPAAm-g-PLCL nanofibers (prepared with 10 kGy) was the highest among the samples, which was consistent with the graft yield results. The phase-separation characteristics of PNIPAAm in aqueous conditions conferred a unique temperature-responsive swelling behavior of PNIPAAm-g-PLCL nanofibers, showing the ability to absorb a large amount of water at < $32^{\circ}C$, and abrupt collapse when the temperature was increased to $40^{\circ}C$. In accordance with the temperature-dependent changes in swelling behavior, the release rate of indomethacin and FITC-BSA loaded in PNIPAAm-g-PLCL nanofibers by a diffusion-mediated process was regulated by the change in temperature. Both model drugs demonstrated greater release rate at $40^{\circ}C$ relative to that at $25^{\circ}C$. This approach of the temperature-controlled release of drugs from PNIPAAm-g-PLCL nanofibers using gamma-ray irradiation may be used to design drugs and protein delivery carriers in various biomedical applications.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.92-99
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• 2014

The pH sensitive hydrogels composed of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPA) and acryloyl phenylalanine (APA) were prepared by redox polymerization using N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a crosslinker. Anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent, Keterolac Tromethamine (KT), was loaded successfully into poly(NIPA-co-APA) copolymeric hydrogels by swelling equilibrium method. To understand the nature of drug in the polymeric matrix, the newly synthesized drug loaded poly(NIPA-co-APA) copolymeric hydrogels were characterized by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique result indicates the spherical smooth surface of the hydrogels. The drug (KT) releasing nature of the poly(NIPA-co-APA) hydrogels was studied in pH 1.2 and 7.4. Effects of drug loading, crosslinking agent, pH and the ionic strength of the external medium on swelling of hydrogels were also investigated.

• Biomaterials and Biomechanics in Bioengineering
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.105-116
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• 2014

Synthesis of interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) of chitosan-gelatin (Cs-Ge) (as a primary network) and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) monomer (as the secondary network) was carried out with different ratio. Its structure was characterized by FT-IR, which indicated that the IPN was formed. The memberanes were studied by swelling, weight loss with time. The interior morphology of the IPN hydrogels was revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM); the IPN hydrogels showed a interpenetrated network of NIPAAm/chitosan has layers with more minute stoma and canals compared to interpenetrated network of NIPAAm/gelatin. Lower critical solution temperature (LCST), equilibrium swelling ratio (ESR) and deswelling kinetics were measured. The DSC results noticed that LCST of IPN hydrogels with different ratio of Cs/Ge/PNIPAAm are around $33{\pm}2^{\circ}C$. The ESR obtained results showed that with a ratio of Cs/Ge/NIPAAm: 1/1/6, the swelling ratio increased drastically from room temperature to $36^{\circ}C$ but with a ratio of Cs/Ge/PNIPAAm: 1/3/6, decrease significantly at the same condition. Therefore the hydrogels have been changed from a hydrophilic structure to a hydrophobic structure. Furthermore with an increase in temperature from room to the LCST, the ESR of IPN with higher concentration of (PNIPAAm) and (Ge) decreases but de-swelling kinetics of them are faster. Due to the suitable and different kinetics of de-swelling and the equilibrium swelling ratio (ESR) in various proportions, and because of the morphology inside the mass which confirms other tests, these hydrogels are very appropriate as a smart thermosensitive hydrogels with rapid response.

• Proceedings of the Polymer Society of Korea Conference
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.33-34
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• 2006

The graft copolymer consisting of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) and single-stranded DNA was prepared. Interestingly, the copolymer was found to form nanoparticles above physiological temperature. We found that non-crosslinking aggregation of the nanoparticles was induced by the hybridization of the surface-bound DNA with the full-match complementary DNA, but not with one-base mismatch. The core material is not restricted to PNIPAAm; DNA-functionalized gold nanoparticle was found to show a similar aggregation induced only by the fully-complementary DNA, resulting in rapid color change within 3 min at ambient temperature. This methodology is general in principle and applicable for wide variety of clinical gene diagnosis.