UV curable polyester polyol acrylate/bentonite nanocomposites: synthesis, characterization, and drug release.

Polyesterpolyolacrylate/bentonite nanocomposites, capable of in situ photo polymerization, were synthesized and characterized. The organically modified bentonite clay was prepared by an ion exchange process, in which sodium ions were replaced by alkyl ammonium ions. Organo modification of bentonite was confirmed from X-ray diffraction and fourier transform-infrared data. Microstructures were characterized by XRD data and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Both XRD data and TEM images of polyester polyol acrylate/organo modified bentonite nanocomposites indicated that most of silicate layers were intercalated into the acrylate matrix. The resulting nanocomposites were characterized by gel content, water equilibrium swell, tensile strength, and in vitro degradation. The results showed that water equilibrium swell and in vitro degradation of these nanocomposites decreased with increase in the clay content. The tensile strength of these nanocomposites also increased with increase in the clay content. Release of two model drugs namely sulfamethoxazole and diclofenac sodium (DS) from these nanocomposites was studied in phosphate buffer saline pH = 7.4 at 37 degrees C. The drug release studies showed that sulfamethoxazole released slower than DS from polyester polyol acrylate nanocomposites. Therefore, these materials may be useful for mucoadhesive drug carriers and other biomedical applications.

In situ polymerizable polyethyleneglycol containing polyesterpolyol acrylates for tissue sealant applications.

Polyesterpolyol macromers were prepared with succinic acid and polyethylene glycols (PEG) of different molecular weights. The resulting polyols were acrylated to render them photo-cross-linkable. They could be very rapidly cross-linked into non-tacky films with long-wavelength UV radiation. The resulting products were characterized by gel content, water equilibrium swell, cross-link density, Tg , tensile strength, degradation and in vitro burst strengths. Though all of them formed transparent contact lens like films, increasing the PEG molecular weight has resulted in polymers with higher hydrophilicity resulting in higher swelling, faster degradation, higher tensile strength, elongation at break and burst strength. Addition of vinyl pyrrolidinone as a reactive diluent has increased the mechanical as well as burst strength of the polymer. In vitro release of sulfamethoxazole entrapped in these cross-linked matrices was also studied.