• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.367-373
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• 2000

Cholic acid, conjugated with amine-terminated poly(W-isopropylacrylamide) (abbreviated as CA/ATPNIPAAm), was synthesized by a N, N'-dicyclohexyl carbodiimide (DCC)-mediated coupling reaction. Self-assembled CA/ATPNIPAAm micelles were prepared by a diafiltration method in aqueous media. The CA/ATPNIPAAm micelles exhibited a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) at $31.5^{\circ}C$. Micelle sizes measured by photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) were approximately 31.6 $\times$$\times$ 5.8 nm. The CA/ATPNIPAAm micelles were spherical and their thermal size transition was observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM). A fluorescence probe technique was used for determining the micelle formation behavior of CA/ATPNIPAAm in aqueous solutions using Pyrene as a hydrophobic Probe. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) was evaluated as $8.9{\times}0^{-2}$ g/L. A drug release study was performed using indomethacin (IN) as a hydrophobic model drug. The release kinetics of IN from the CA/ATPNIPAAm micelles revealed a thermo-sensitivity by the unique character of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) i.e. the release rate was higher at $25^{\circ}C$ than at $37^{\circ}C$.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.2-8
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• 2003

The self-assembly of polymers can lead to supramolecular systems and is related to the their functions of material and life sciences. In this article, self-assembly of Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films, polymer micelles, and polymeric nanoparticles, and their biomedical applications are described. LB surfaces with a well-ordered and layered structure adhered more cells including platelet, hepatocyte, and fibroblast than the cast surfaces with microphase-separated domains. Extensive morphologic changes were observed in LB surface-adhered cells compared to the cast films. Amphiphilic block copolymers, consisting of poly(${\gamma}$-benzyl L-glutamate) (PBLG) as the hydrophobic part and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) [or poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm)] as the hydrophilic one, can self-assemble in water to form nanoparticles presumed to be composed of the hydrophilic shell and hydrophobic core. The release characteristics of hydrophobic drugs from these polymeric nanoparticles were dependent on the drug loading contents and chain length of the hydrophobic part of the copolymers. Achiral hydrophobic merocyanine dyes (MDs) were self-assembled in copolymeric nanoparticles, which provided a chiral microenvironment as red-shifted aggregates, and the circular dichroism (CD) of MD was induced in the self-assembled copolymeric nanoparticles.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.30 no.3 s.47
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• pp.295-305
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• 2004

Colloid and surface chemistry have been focused on surface area and surface energy. Local surface properties such as surface density, interaction, molecular orientation and reactivity have been one of interesting subjects. Systems of such surface energy being important would be listed as association colloid, emulsion, particle dispersion, foam, and 2-D surface and film. Such nanoparticle systems would be applied to drug delivery systems and functional cosmetics with biocompatible and degradable materials, while nanoparticles having its size of several nm to micron, and wide surface area, have been accepted as a possible drug carrier because their preparation, characteristics and drug loading have been inves-tigated. The biocompatible carriers were also used for the solubilization of insoluble drugs, the enhancement of skin absorption, the block out of UV radiation, the chemical stabilization and controlled release. Nano/micro emulstion system is classified into nano/microsphere, nano/microcapsule, nano/microemulsion, polymeric micelle, liposome according to its prep-aration method and size. Specially, the preparation method and industrial applications have been introduced for polymeric micelles self-assembled in aqueous solution, nano/microapsules controlling the concentration and activity of high concen-tration and activity materials, and monolayer or multilayer liposomes carrying bioactive ingredients.