• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.202-214
• /
• 2015

Stimuli-responsive biomaterials that alter their function through sensing local molecular cues may enable technological advances in the fields of drug delivery, gene delivery, actuators, biosensors, and tissue engineering. In this research, pH-responsive hydrogel which is comprised of dimethylaminoethyl methacylate (DMAEMA) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) was synthesized for the effective delivery of doxorubicin (Dox) to breast cancer cells. Cancer and tumor tissues show a lower extracellular pH than normal tissues. DMAEMA/HEMA hydrogels showed significant sensitivity by small pH changes and each formulation of hydrogels was examined by scanning electron microscopy, mechanical test, equilibrium mass swelling, controlled Dox release, and cytotoxicity. High swelling ratios and Dox release were obtained at low pH buffer condition, low cross-linker concentration, and high content of DMAEMA. Dox release was accelerated to 67.3% at pH 5.5 for 6-h incubation at $37^{\circ}C$, while it was limited to 13.8% at pH7.4 at the same time and temperature. Cell toxicity results to breast cancer cells indicate that pH-responsive DMAEMA/HEMA hydrogels may be used as an efficient matrix for anti-cancer drug delivery with various transporting manners. Also, pH-responsive DMAEMA/HEMA hydrogels may be useful in therapeutic treatment which is required a triggered release at low pH range such as gene delivery, ischemia, and diabetic ketoacidosis.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.53-58
• /
• 2004

The preparation of responsive fibers from acrylic fibers is studied. Various responsive fibers, such as fibers which change their color on exposure to light or with change in temperature, have been developed and are used commercially However, the responsive material in these fibers are not the fiber itself but chemicals in microcapsules attached to the fibers by finishing, and few fibers exhibit responsive properties by itself. The partial hydrolysis of polyacrylonitrile fibers to obtain pH responsive fibers is presented in this paper. Partial hydrolysis was effected by control of the concentration of the sodium hydroxide used in the hydrolysis, hydrolysis temperature and time. The degree of hydrolysis was evaluated by nitrogen content of the hydrolyzed fibers and their response, change in length, to aqueous solutions of varying pH was studied by continually changing the pH. Significant changes in lengths with pH were observed and the gel transition behavior varied with the conditions of hydrolysis. The hysteresis of the length change was also studied to evaluate the possibilities of using hydrolyzed acrylic fibers as pH sensors.

• Carbon letters
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.173-177
• /
• 2012

A drug delivery system (DDS) was prepared with a temperature and pH-responsive hydrogel. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/poly(acrylic acid) (PAAc)/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm)/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanocomposites were prepared by radical polymerization for the temperature and pH-responsive hydrogels. MWCNTs were employed to improve both the thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of the PVA/PAAc/PNIPAAm/MWCNT nanocomposite hydrogels. Various amounts of MWCNTs (0, 0.5, 1 and 3 wt%) were added to the nanocomposite hydrogels. PVA/PAAc/PNIPAAm/MWCNT nanocomposite hydrogels were characterized with a scanning electron microscope. The mechanical properties were measured with a universal testing machine. Swelling and releasing properties of nanocomposite hydrogels were investigated at various temperatures and pHs. Temperature and pH-responsive release behavior was found to be dependent on the content of MWCNTs in nanocomposite hydrogels.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.17-25
• /
• 2019

We discuss recent advances in Gd-based $T_1$-weighted MR contrast agents for the mapping of cellular pH. The pH plays a critical role in various biological processes. During the past two decades, several MR contrast agents of strategic importance for pH-mapping have been developed. Some of these agents shed light on the pH fluctuation in the tumor microenvironment. A pH-responsive self-assembled contrast agent facilitates the visualization of tumor size as small as $3mm^3$. Optimization of various parameters is crucial for the development of pH-responsive contrast agents. In due course, the new contrast agents may provide significant insight into pH fluctuations in the human body.

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2004.05a
• /
• pp.191-194
• /
• 2004

A novel type of intelligent microcapsule reactor system was prepared. The reactor can recognize pH change in the medea and control reaction rate by itself. For the reactor system, acrylic acid (AA), N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), and glucose oxidase (GOD) were selected as a pH-responsive device, a gating device according and a reaction device, respectively. Poly(NIPAM-co-AA) (P-NIPAM-co-AA) are known to change its hydrophilicity-hydrophobicity due to pH change. They were integrated in a core-shell microcapsule space. GOD was loaded inside the core space and the pores in the outside shell layer were filled with P-NIPAM-co-AA linear grafted chains as pH-responsive gates by plasma graft filling polymerization method. When P-NIPAM-co-AA gates are hydrophilic at high pH value, this microcapsule permits glucose penetration into the core space and GOD reaction proceeds. However, when P-NIPAM-co-AA gates are hydrophobic at low pH value, this microcapsule forbids glucose penetration and GOD reaction will not occur. The accuracy of this concept was examined.

• Polymer(Korea)
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.421-426
• /
• 2008

pH-responsive P(MAA-co-EGMA) hydrogel microparticles were synthesized via dispersion photo polymerization and the feasibility of the particles as the cosmetic formulation was investigated. Rh-B and the functional materials for the cosmetic application such as ascorbic acid, adenosine, EGCG, and arbutin were loaded in the P (MAA-co-EGMA) hydrogel microparticles in order to examine the interaction between the hydrogel and the loaded materials. In the loading experiments, Rh-B showed the highest loading efficiency to the P(MAA-co-EGMA) hydrogels due to the electrostatic attraction between the negative charge of the hydrogels and the positive charge of Rh-B at the ionized states. However, the functional materials showed relatively low loading efficiencies because of the electrostatic repulsions between the negative charges of both the hydrogels and the materials at the ionized states. In addition, P(MAA-co-EGMA) hydrogel microparticles showed pH-responsive release behavior of Rh-B according to the external pH changes.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
• /
• v.21 no.11
• /
• pp.1010-1018
• /
• 2008

In this report, we describe the use of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) immobilized on pH. responsive, cross-linked poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) thin films, as a potential application for pH nanosensors. The methodology is based on the variation in surface plasmon resonance of immobilized AuNPs with changing the interparticle distances, caused by the swelling/deswelling of the pH responsive P4VP polymer films. The change in optical properties of the immobilized AuNPs in response to the pH of surrounding media was investigated by a simple yet powerful tool; UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. The swelling of the P4VP chains at pH 2 causes an increase in the interparticle distances of immobilized AUNPS ($\sim20nm$) and hence leads to a blue shift of 48 nm in their surface plasmon resonance band peak. On the other hand, when the surrounding media was altered from pH 2 to 10, a red shift of absorption maxima was observed. The changes were rapid, and the effect was reversible. This system could prove to be useful in fabricating nanosensors for detecting the pH or pH changes of surrounding aqueous medium.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.149-156
• /
• 1972

The responsive characteristics of hydrogen-responsive glass electrode in various buffer solutions of methanol, N,N-dimethylformamide and acetonitrile were examined. The potentials were attained more rapidly with an electrode stored in the same solvent medium than that stored in water before use. However, the time to be required for a stable potential increased with the basicity of buffer solution, and it was not provide a constant potential in the strong basic solution of these solvent. Even in acidic solution, the potential was varied according to the past usage of the electrode.

• Polymer(Korea)
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.94-98
• /
• 2011

Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), PHEMA, hybrid gels containing Pluronic and acrylic acid (AAc) were prepared as new biocompatible and stimuli-responsive hydrogels by photo-polymerization technique. The prepared hybrid gel showed reversible, temperature-responsive swelling behavior due to the presence of Pluronic component, which underwent sol-gel transition at an elevated temperature to cause gel shrinkage. The hydrogel also exhibited increased swelling degrees and pH-sensitivity due to the AAc component with ionizable carboxylic acid groups. The microporous gel morphology and its changes upon stimuli was observed by scanning electron microscopy.

• Macromolecular Research
• /
• v.16 no.8
• /
• pp.670-675
• /
• 2008

A series of pH and temperature-responsive (N,N-diethylacrylamide-co-methylacrylic acid) copolymers were synthesized by radical copolymerization and characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) $^1H$, $^{13}C$ and LLS. The effects of salt and pH on the phase transition behaviors of the copolymers were investigated by uv. With increasing NaCl concentration, significant salt effects on their phase transition behaviors were observed. UV spectroscopic studies showed that the phase transition became faster with increasing NaCl concentration. In addition, the phase transition behaviors of copolymers were sensitive to pH. The pH and temperature sensitivity of these copolymers would make an interesting drug delivery system.