Hybrid Nanocomposite Prepared by Graft Copolymerization of 4-Acryloyl morpholine onto Chitosan in the Presence of Organophilic Montmorillonite

Redox-Responsive Self-Assembly Micelles from Poly(N-acryloylmorpholine-block-2-acryloyloxyethyl ferrocenecarboxylate) Amphiphilic Block Copolymers as Drug Release Carriers

Novel well-defined redox-responsive ferrocene-containing amphiphilic block copolymers (PACMO-b-PAEFC) were synthesized by ATRP, with poly(N-acryloylmorpholine) (PACMO) as hydrophilic blocks and poly(2-acryloyloxyethyl ferrocenecarboxylate) (PAEFC) as hydrophobic blocks. The copolymers were characterized by FT-IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopies and gel permeation chromatography, and the crystalline behavior was determined by X-ray diffraction and small-angle X-ray scattering. The results showed that the size of the lamellar crystals and crystallinity vary with the systematic compositions while the periodic structure of the lamellar stacks has no obvious change. These block copolymers could self-assemble and form globular nanoscaled core-shell micellar aggregates in aqueous solution. The reductive ferrocene groups could be changed into hydrophilic ferrocenium via mild oxidation, whereas the polymer micelles at the oxidation state could reversibly recover from their original states upon reduction by vitamin C. The tunable redox response was investigated and verified by transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and dynamic light scattering measurements. The copolymer micelles were used to entrap anticancer drug paclitaxel (PTX), with high drug encapsulation efficiency of 61.4%, while the PTX-loaded drug formulation exhibited oxidation-controlled drug release, and the release rate could be mediated by the kinds and concentrations of oxidants. MTT assay was performed to disclose the biocompatibility and security of the copolymer micelles and to assess anticancer efficiency of the PTX-loaded nanomicelles. The developed copolymer nanomicelles with reversible redox response are anticipated to have potential in targeted drug delivery systems for cancer therapy.

Spectroscopic and quantum chemical studies on 4-acryloyl morpholine

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and FT-Raman spectra have been recorded and an extensive spectroscopic investigations have been carried out on 4-acryloyl morpholine (4AM). Theoretical quantum chemical studies have also been performed. From the ab initio and DFT analysis using HF, B3LYP and B3PW91 methods with 6-31G(d,p) and 6-311G++(d,p) basis sets the energies, structural, thermodynamical and vibrational characteristics of the compound were determined. The energy difference between the chair equatorial and chair axial conformers of 4AM have been calculated by density functional theory (DFT) method. The optimized geometrical parameters, theoretical wavenumbers and thermodynamic properties of the molecule are compared with the experimental values. The effect of acryloyl group on the characteristic frequencies of the morpholine ring has been analysed. The mixing of the fundamental modes with the help of potential energy distribution (PED) through normal co-ordinate analysis has been discussed.