title: A methyl methacrylate-HEMA-CL(n) copolymerization investigation: from kinetics to bioapplications.
abstract: The radical copolymerization kinetics of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and poly-ϵ-caprolactone macromonomer functionalized with a vinyl end group (HEMA-CL(n)) is studied using a pulsed-laser technique. The reactivity ratios for this system are near unity, while a linear relationship between k(p,cop), the copolymer-averaged propagation rate coefficient, and the composition of macromonomer in the feed (0-80 wt% range) is determined. At 50 wt% macromonomer in the feed, a 1.67 ± 0.02 and 1.64 ± 0.06 increase in k(p,cop)/k(p,MMA) is determined for HEMA-CL3 and HEMA-CL2, respectively. These macromonomers are adopted to synthesize nanoparticles (NPs) in the range of 100-150 nm through batch emulsion free radical polymerization (BEP) to produce partially degradable drug delivery carriers. The produced NPs are tested in 4T1 cell line and show excellent characteristics as carriers: they do not affect cell proliferation, and a relevant number of NPs, thousands per cell, are internalized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Via Luigi Mancinelli 7, 20131, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Rooney
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lupi
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ubezio
authors.forename: Robin A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hutchinson
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moscatelli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004337:Drug Carriers; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008689:Methacrylates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry*; D020366:Methylmethacrylate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry*; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D058105:Polymerization; D011108:Polymers / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D008689:Methacrylates; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; D020366:Methylmethacrylate; C016240:polycaprolactone; C005044:hydroxyethyl methacrylate
keywords: caprolactone; endocytosis; methyl methacrylate; nanoparticles; pulsed laser polymerization