An NIR-triggered drug release and highly efficient photodynamic therapy from PCL/PNIPAm/porphyrin modified graphene oxide nanoparticles with the Janus morphology. Issue 68 (2nd December 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Khoee, Sepideh; Sadeghi, Amirhossein
• Is Part Of: RSC advances. Volume 9:Issue 68(2019)
• Page Start: 39780
• Page End: 39792
• Publication Date: 2019-12-02
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540.5
• DOI: 10.1039/c9ra06058h
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2046-2069

Abstract

Abstract : This project aimed to investigate the synthesis and characteristics of stimuli-responsive nanoparticles with different morphologies. Abstract : This project aimed to investigate the synthesis and characteristics of stimuli-responsive nanoparticles with different morphologies. In the first step, graphene oxide was synthesized based on the improved Hummers' method. Then, thermo-responsive poly( N -isopropylacrylamide- co-N -(hydroxymethyl)acrylamide), an amphiphilic copolymer, and poly(caprolactone) (PCL), a hydrophobic polymer, were used to prepare Janus and mixed graphene oxide-based nanoparticles. Fluorescence microscopy was utilized to confirm the Janus structure by labeling the mixed and Janus NPs with fluorescent hydrophobic and hydrophilic dyes via a solvent-evaporation method. Then, terminally modified carboxyl porphyrin (TPPC3-COOH), used as the second generation photosensitizer, was grafted to the copolymer surrounding the mixed and Janus NPs. Next, quercetin, a hydrophobic anti-cancer drug, was loaded onto both NPs to accomplish NIR-triggered photodynamic- and chemo-therapy. Finally, the drug loading, encapsulation efficiency, and in vitro release of thermo-responsive NPs were investigated at temperatures of 37 °C and 40 °C as well as under laser irradiation (808 nm).