• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.157-161
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• 2009

Resveratrol-loaded poly($\varepsilon$-caprolactone) (PCL) nanoparticles were prepared by oil in water (O/W) emulsion solvent evaporation method. The morphology of the nanoparticles was evaluated using atomic force microscope (AFM), in which well-shaped and rigid nanoparticles were prepared. The mean particle size of nanoparticles prepared using only dichloromethane (DCM) ($523.5{\pm}36.7\;nm$) was larger than that prepared with a mixture of DCM and either ethanol (EtOH) ($494.5{\pm}29.2\;nm$) or acetone ($493.5{\pm}6.9\;nm$). The encapsulation efficiency of nanoparticles prepared only with DCM as dispersed phase ($78.3{\pm}7.7%$) was the highest of those prepared with solvent mixtures. An increase in the molecular weight of PCL led to an increase in encapsulation efficiency (from $78.3{\pm}7.7$ to $91.4{\pm}3.2%$). Pluronic F-127 produced the smallest mean size ($523.5{\pm}36.7\;nm$) with the narrowest particle size distribution. These results show that dispersed phase, molecular weight of wall materials, emulsion stabilizer could be important factors to affect the properties of nanoparticles.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.467-475
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• 2001

A triblock copolymer based on $poly(\varepsilon-caprolactone)$ (PCL) as the hydrophobic part and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as the hydrophilic portion was synthesized by a ring-opening mechanism of ${\varepsilon}-caprolactone$ with PEG containing a hydroxyl group at bot h ends as an initiator. The synthesized block copolymers of PCL/PEG/PCL (CEC) were confirmed and characterized using various analysis equipment such as 1H NMR, DSC, FT-IR, and WAXD. Core-shell type nanoparticles of CEC triblock copolymers were prepared using a dialysis technique to estimate their potential as a colloidal drug carrier using a hydrophobic drug. From the results of particle size analysis and transmission electron microscopy, the particle size of CEC core-shell type nanoparticles was determined to be about 20-60 nm with a spherical shape. Since CEC block copolymer nanoparticles have a core-shell type micellar structure and small particle size similar to polymeric micelles, CEC block copolymer can self-associate at certain concentrations and the critical association concentration (CAC) was able to be determined by fluorescence probe techniques. The CAC values of the CEC block copolymers were dependent on the PCL block length. In addition, drug loading contents were dependent on the PCL block length: the larger the PCL block length, the higher the drug loading content. Drug release from CEC core-shell type nanoparticles showed an initial burst release for the first 12 hrs followed by pseudo-zero order release kinetics for 2 or 3 days. CEC-2 block copolymer core-shell type nanoparticles were degraded very slowly, suggesting that the drug release kinetics were governed by a diffusion mechanism rather than a degradation mechanism irrelevant to the CEC block copolymer composition.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.59-65
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• 2003

PLA/LPCL/HPCL blends composed of poly(lactic acid) (PLA), low molecular weight poly($\varepsilon$-caprolactone) (LPCL), and high molecular weight poly($\varepsilon$-caprolactone) (HPCL) were prepared by melt blending for bioabsorbable fila-ment sutures. The effects of blend composition and blending time on the ester interchange reaction by alcoholysis in the PLA/LPCL/HPCL blends were studied. Their thermal properties and the miscibility due to the ester interchange reaction were investigated by $^1{H-NMR}$, DSC, X-ray, and UTM analyses. The hydroxyl group contents of LPCL in the blends decreafed by the ester interchange reaction due to alcoholysis. Thus, the copolymer was formed by the ester interchange reaction at $200^{\circ}C$ for 30-60 minutes. The thermal properties of PLA/LPCL/HPCL blends such as melting temperature and heat of fusion decreased with increasing ester interchange reaction levels. However, the miscibility among the three poly-mers was improved greatly by ester interchange reaction. Tensile strength and modulus of PLA/LPCL/HPCL blend fibers increased with increasing HPCL content, while the elongation at break of the blend fibers increased with increasing LPCL content.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.575-579
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• 2009

Copolymerization of L-lactide and s-caprolactone initiated by tin (II) octoate (Sn(Oct)$_2$) was carried out in supercritical chlorodifluoromethane (R22) with varying reaction conditions (time and temperature) and amounts of monomer and catalyst, under a pressure of 250 bar. The optimum conditions were a reaction time of 10 h and a temperature of 130 $^{\circ}C$, which is similar to the temperature used in bulk copolymerization system. The conversion increased from 56% to 76% by increasing the reaction time from 1 to 10 h. The molecular weight also increased to 75,900 g.mol$^{-1}$ over the same period, while the increased monomer concentration resulted in a high molecular weight of 86,400 g.mol$^{-1}$ and a monomer conversion of 84%. Raising the reaction temperature from 90 to 130 $^{\circ}C$ increased the monomer conversion as well as the poly-L-lactide-co-${\varepsilon}$-caprolactone (PLCL) molecular weight. The variation on the stannous octoate catalyst suggested that less catalyst would decrease the caprolactone content of the polymer.

• Current Applied Physics
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.1313-1319
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• 2018

The coil-to-globule behavior of poly{${\gamma}$-2-[2-(2methoxyethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy-3-caprolactone} (PMEEECL) as a ${\gamma}$-substituted poly (${\varepsilon}$-caprolactone) was investigated via atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. For this purpose, radius of gyration, end-to-end distance and radial distribution function of the chain in the presence of water were calculated. Consequently, the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of PMEEECL chain at which the coil-to-globule transition takes place, was determined in each calculated parameter curve. The simulation results indicated that the LCST of PMEEECL was occurred at close to 320 K, which is in a good agreement with previous experimental results. Additionally, the appearance of sudden change in both Flory-Huggins interaction parameter (${\chi}$) and interaction energy between the PMEEECL chain and water molecules at about 320 K confirmed the calculated LCST result. The radial distribution function (RDF) results showed that the affinity of the PMEEECL side chain to water molecules is lower than its backbone.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.137-143
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• 2009

We prepared norfloxacin (NFX)-incorporated polymeric micelle using poly ($\varepsilon$-caprolactone)/poly(ethylene glycol) (PCL/PEG, CE) diblock copolymers. Particle size was from 60 to 200 nm according to the PCL block length. Their critical association concentration (CAC) was decreased according to the increase of PCL block length. $^1H$-NMR study showed core-shell type micelle structures of CE diblock copolymers in the aqueous environment. Drug release from polymeric micelle was continued over 2 days. Duration of drug release was varied according to the PCL block length and drug contents. At antimicrobial activity test, polymeric micelle showed almost similar cytotoxicity compared to NFX itself.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.224-231
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• 2005

The polymerization of $\varepsilon-caprolactone$ in the layers of the [DEACOOH]-Montmorillonite intercalations complex was attempted using 10-Carboxy-n-decyldimethylethylammonium bromide and Na-Montmorillonite to achieve [DEACOOH]-Polycaprolactone-Montmorillonite in which the inorganic material (montmorillonite) and the organic material (polycaprolactone) are chemically linked each other. The results of X-ray- and IR-analysis for the samples obtained after polymerization showed that the polymerization reaction has been successfully accomplished. In order to study the polymeric reaction products more precisely we have separated the polymerized product from the silicate layers and analyzed it with X-ray diffractometer, IR-spectrometer and TEM. The comparison of the results of X-ray- and IR-analysis for the separated polymer with them for the polymer which was synthesized by the reaction of $\varepsilon-caprolactone$ only with the organic cation without montmorillonite showed that the obtained both polymers are the same compounds.

• Proceedings of the Korean Fiber Society Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.341-344
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• 2001

Over the last 20 years, biodegradable materials in medical applications have been studied extensively. Among these materials, poly(ε-caprolactone) and poly(trimethylene carbonate)(PTMC) are attractive biopolymers to be used as biodegradable sutures, artificial skin, drug release system. It was known that PCL is a nontoxic biocompatible semicrystalline polymer with melting point of 63℃, and PTMC is an amorphous or little crystaline polymer. (omitted)

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.344-351
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• 2004

Poly(ethylene glycol)-based diblock and triblock polyester copolymers stimulating to temperature were studied as injectable biomaterials in drug delivery system because of their nontoxicity, biocompatibility and biodegradability. We synthesized the diblock copolymers consisting of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (MPEG) (M$_{n}$=750 g/mole) and poly($\varepsilon$-caprolactone) (PCL) by ring opening polymerization of $\varepsilon$-CL with MPEG as an initiator in the presence of HCl . Et$_2$O. The aqueous solution of synthesized diblock copolymers represented sol phase at room temperature and a sol to gel phase transition as the temperature increased from room temperature to body temperature. To confirm the in vivo gel formation, we observed the formation of gel in the mice body after injection of 20 wt% aqueous solution of each block copolymer. After 2 months, we observed the maintenance of gel without dispersion in mice. In this study, we synthesized diblock copolymers exhibiting sol-gel phase transition and confirmed the feasibility as biomaterials of injectable implantation.n.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.397-402
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• 2005

To explore the potential of shell crosslinked micelle (SCM) as a drug carrier, the drug release behavior of poly($\varepsilon$-caprolactone)-b-poly(acrylic acid) (PCL-b-PAA) SCMs was investigated. PCL-b-PAA was synthesized by ring opening polymerization of $\varepsilon$-caprolactone and atom transfer radical polymerization of tert-butyl acrylate, followed by selective hydrolysis of tert-butyl ester groups to acrylic acid groups. The resulting amphiphilic polymer was used to prepare SCMs by crosslinking of PAA corona via amidation chemistry. The drug release behavior of the SCMs was studied, using pyrene as a model drug, and was compared with that of non-crosslinked micelles, especially below the critical micelle concentration (CMC). When the shell layers were crosslinked, the drug release behavior of the SCMs was successfully modulated at a controlled rate compared with that of the non-crosslinked micelles, which showed a burst release of drug within a short time.