title: Thermo-responsive hydrogels from cellulose-based polyelectrolytes and catanionic vesicles for biomedical application.
abstract: In this study, negatively charged catanionic vesicles/hydrophobically modified hydroxyethylcellulose polymers thermo-responsive hydrogels have been fabricated. Vesicular aggregates were found to act as multifunctional junctions for networking of modified-cellulose water solutions. The contributions of the electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions were evaluated by changing either vesicles composition or the polymer hydrophobic substitution. Thermal-induced size and lamellarity of hydrogel-enclosed vesicles were detected, with further polygonal shape changes induced by cellulose-based polymer addition. The thermal transition was also found to tune hydrogel mechanical behaviour. The network formation was further assessed through molecular insights, which allow to determine the arrangement of the polymer chains on the vesicles' surface. The examined systems exhibited interesting thermo-responsive characteristics. Thus, vesicularly cross-linked hydrogels herein presented can offer a wide variety of applications, i.e. in biomedical field, as multi-drug delivery systems, thanks to their ability to provide for different environments to guest molecules, comprising bulk water, vesicles' interior and bilayers, sites on polymeric chains. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 1668-1679, 2016.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, via L. Giorgieri 1, Trieste, I-34127, Italy.
authors.forename: Gesmi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Milcovich
authors.affiliation: Chemistry Department, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3004-535, Portugal.
authors.forename: Filipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Antunes
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, P.le Europa, 1, Trieste, I-34127, Italy.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Golob
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste, Trieste, I-34127, Italy.
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Farra
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste, Trieste, I-34127, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grassi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, P.le Europa, 1, Trieste, I-34127, Italy.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Voinovich
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, University Hospital of Cattinara, Trieste, 34100, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grassi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, via L. Giorgieri 1, Trieste, I-34127, Italy.
authors.forename: Fioretta
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Asaro
mesh_terms: D000838:Anions; D020811:Biomedical Technology / Q000379:methods*; D002412:Cations; D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry*; D004058:Diffusion; D065546:Drug Liberation; D004548:Elasticity; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry*; D000071228:Polyelectrolytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D066244:Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D012212:Rheology; D013696:Temperature; D013806:Theophylline / Q000494:pharmacology; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D000838:Anions; D002412:Cations; D020100:Hydrogels; D000071228:Polyelectrolytes; D002482:Cellulose; D013806:Theophylline
keywords: NMR; catanionic vesicles; cellulose; diffusion; hydrogel; rheology