title: Preparation of polymeric micelles consisting of poly(propylene glycol) and poly(caprolactone).
abstract: The ring-opening polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone (CL) was carried out with polypropylene glycol (PPG) as an initiator in the presence of the monomer activator HCl. Et2O to synthesize poly(epsilon-caprolactone)-poly(propyleneglycol)-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL-PPG-PCL) triblock copolymers with change of length PPG and PCL. The micelle formation of PCL-PPG-PCL triblock copolymers in an aqueous phase was confirmed by NMR, dynamic light scattering and fluorescence techniques. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the PCL-PPG-PCL triblock copolymers, determined from fluorescence measurements, was in range of 1.4 x 10(-3)-4.6 x 10(-3) mg/ml with dependence on block lengths of PPG and PCL. The partition equilibrium constant, K(v), which is an indicator of the hydrophobicity of the micelles of the PCL-PPG-PCL triblock copolymers in aqueous media, was also changed with dependence on length PPG and PCL. We confirmed that the PCL-PPG-PCL triblock copolymers formed micelles and hence may be potential hydrophobic drug carriers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon 443-749, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Hyo
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jae Il
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hwi Ju
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Doo Yeon
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Won Seok
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Bong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong Keun
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Hyun-Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Moon Suk
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008823:Micelles; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D011409:Propylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D008823:Micelles; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; D011409:Propylene Glycols; C016240:polycaprolactone; C012504:polypropylene glycol