title: Monitoring the aggregation behaviour of self-assembling polymers through high-resolution ultrasonic spectroscopy.
abstract: Poloxamer 407 is a well-known self-assembling polymer with a wide range of temperature- and concentration-dependent phase behaviour, such as micellization and gelation. This work was carried out to demonstrate the potential of high-resolution ultrasonic spectroscopy in evaluating aggregation-deaggregation behaviour of self-assembling polymers. In order to achieve this objective, six different concentrations of Poloxamer 407 water dispersion were prepared and analysed between 5 and 35 degrees C using ultrasonic spectroscopy. For comparison, the same samples were also analysed by the DSC technique. The results showed that polymer aggregation process can be successfully monitored using both ultrasonic parameters of sound speed and attenuation. Furthermore, good agreement with DSC data was observed in terms of characteristic transition temperatures and also in terms of micellization kinetics and related parameters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Camerino, Via S. Agostino 1, I-62032 Camerino (MC), Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cespi
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bonacucina
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mencarelli
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pucciarelli
authors.forename: Gianfabio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giorgioni
authors.forename: Giovanni F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Palmieri
mesh_terms: D002152:Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008823:Micelles; D020442:Poloxamer / Q000737:chemistry*; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods; D013696:Temperature; D014465:Ultrasonics
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D008823:Micelles; D020442:Poloxamer