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Polymers
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Polymers in Pharmaceutical Technology II
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Polymers in Pharmaceutical Technology II

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 June 2024 | Viewed by 2116

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Natassa Pippa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacy, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Interests: drug delivery systems; liposomes; polymers; nanotechnology; fractals
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The advances in materials science have been greatly beneficial to pharmaceutical technology with regard to the preparation of innovative delivery platforms of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Polymers are considered the best materials with properties making them ideal as innovative excipients of the design and development of delivery platforms. Polymer therapeutics attracts the interest of the scientific community due to its numerous advantages, i.e., biocompatibility, stealth, controlled release properties, etc. Polymers are included in marketed medicinal products, medicines and medical devices, acting as solubilizers, permeation enhancers, and helping toward the specific targeting of the drugs to the site of actions.

This Special Issue is concerned with the applications of polymers in pharmaceutics, including polymeric pharmaceutical excipients in solid oral dosage forms, controlled release matrix systems, and amorphous solid dispersions. Topics may include the synthesis of novel polymers, physicochemical characterizations, self-assembly behavior, interactions of polymers with active pharmaceutical ingredients and/or other excipients, as well as the impact of polymers in the drug release mechanism. Special attention will be given to applications of polymers in pharmaceutical nanotechnology. The formation, preparation, and drug loading/release of polymer micelles, polyelectrolyte complexes, polymersomes, polymeric nanoparticles, and nanogels are hot topics in current literature too. Both original manuscripts and reviews are welcome.

Dr. Natassa Pippa
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pharmaceutical excipients
  • solubilizers
  • permeation enhancers
  • polymer coating
  • capsule shells
  • osmotic pumps
  • solid dosage forms
  • matrix systems
  • controlled release
  • polymer dispersions
  • micelles
  • polymeric nanoparticles
  • polymersomes
  • polyplex
  • polyelectrolyte
  • biopolymer
  • hydrogels

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 3971 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of Thermoresponsive Chitosan-graft-Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Hybrid Copolymer and Its Complexation with DNA
by Marius-Mihai Zaharia, Florin Bucatariu, Maria Karayianni, Elena-Daniela Lotos, Marcela Mihai and Stergios Pispas
Polymers 2024, 16(10), 1315; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16101315 - 8 May 2024
Viewed by 180
Abstract
A hybrid synthetic-natural, thermoresponsive graft copolymer composed of poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) side chains, prepared via RAFT polymerization, and a chitosan (Chit) polysaccharide backbone, was synthesized via radical addition-fragmentation reactions using the “grafting to” technique, in aqueous solution. ATR-FTIR, TGA, polyelectrolyte titrations [...] Read more.
A hybrid synthetic-natural, thermoresponsive graft copolymer composed of poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) side chains, prepared via RAFT polymerization, and a chitosan (Chit) polysaccharide backbone, was synthesized via radical addition-fragmentation reactions using the “grafting to” technique, in aqueous solution. ATR-FTIR, TGA, polyelectrolyte titrations and 1H NMR spectroscopy were employed in order to validate the Chit-g-PNIPAM copolymer chemical structure. Additionally, 1H NMR spectra and back conductometric titration were utilized to quantify the content of grafted PNIPAM side chains. The resulting graft copolymer contains dual functionality, namely both pH responsive free amino groups, with electrostatic complexation/coordination properties, and thermoresponsive PNIPAM side chains. Particle size measurements via dynamic light scattering (DLS) were used to study the thermoresponsive behavior of the Chit-g-PNIPAM copolymer. Thermal properties examined by TGA showed that, by the grafting modification with PNIPAM, the Chit structure became more thermally stable. The lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the copolymer solution was determined by DLS measurements at 25–45 °C. Furthermore, dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering measurements demonstrated that the Chit-g-PNIPAM thermoresponsive copolymer is suitable of binding DNA molecules and forms nanosized polyplexes at different amino to phosphate groups ratios, with potential application as gene delivery systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Pharmaceutical Technology II)
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17 pages, 5363 KiB  
Article
Lignocellulosic Membranes Grafted with N-Vinylcaprolactam Using Radiation Chemistry: Load and Release Capacity of Vancomycin
by Maite Rentería-Urquiza, Guadalupe Gabriel Flores-Rojas, Belén Gómez-Lázaro, Felipe López-Saucedo, Ricardo Vera-Graziano, Eduardo Mendizabal and Emilio Bucio
Polymers 2024, 16(4), 551; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16040551 - 18 Feb 2024
Viewed by 661
Abstract
Radiation chemistry presents a unique avenue for developing innovative polymeric materials with desirable properties, eliminating the need for chemical initiators, which can be potentially detrimental, especially in sensitive sectors like medicine. In this investigation, we employed a radiation-induced graft polymerization process with N-vinylcaprolactam [...] Read more.
Radiation chemistry presents a unique avenue for developing innovative polymeric materials with desirable properties, eliminating the need for chemical initiators, which can be potentially detrimental, especially in sensitive sectors like medicine. In this investigation, we employed a radiation-induced graft polymerization process with N-vinylcaprolactam (NVCL) to modify lignocellulosic membranes derived from Agave salmiana, commonly known as maguey. The membranes underwent thorough characterization employing diverse techniques, including contact angle measurement, degree of swelling, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier-transform infrared-attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), nuclear magnetic resonance (CP-MAS 13C-NMR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and uniaxial tensile mechanical tests. The membranes’ ability to load and release an antimicrobial glycopeptide drug was assessed, revealing significant enhancements in both drug loading and sustained release. The grafting of PNVCL contributed to prolonged sustained release by decreasing the drug release rate at temperatures above the LCST. The release profiles were analyzed using the Higuchi, Peppas–Sahlin, and Korsmeyer–Peppas models, suggesting a Fickian transport mechanism as indicated by the Korsmeyer–Peppas model. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Pharmaceutical Technology II)
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13 pages, 3358 KiB  
Article
Structure-Based Evaluation of Hybrid Lipid–Polymer Nanoparticles: The Role of the Polymeric Guest
by Maria Chountoulesi, Natassa Pippa, Aleksander Forys, Barbara Trzebicka and Stergios Pispas
Polymers 2024, 16(2), 290; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16020290 - 20 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 995
Abstract
The combination of phospholipids and block-copolymers yields advanced hybrid nanoparticles through the self-assembly process in an aqueous environment. The physicochemical features of the lipid/polymer components, like the lipid–polymer molar ratio, the macromolecular architecture of the block copolymer, the main transition temperature of the [...] Read more.
The combination of phospholipids and block-copolymers yields advanced hybrid nanoparticles through the self-assembly process in an aqueous environment. The physicochemical features of the lipid/polymer components, like the lipid–polymer molar ratio, the macromolecular architecture of the block copolymer, the main transition temperature of the phospholipid, as well as the formulation and preparation protocol parameters, are some of the most crucial parameters for the formation of hybrid lipid/polymer vesicles and for the differentiation of their morphology. The morphology, along with other physicochemical nanoparticle characteristics are strictly correlated with the nanoparticle’s later biological behavior after being administered, affecting interactions with cells, biodistribution, uptake, toxicity, drug release, etc. In the present study, a structural evaluation of hybrid lipid–polymer nanoparticles based on cryo-TEM studies was undertaken. Different kinds of hybrid lipid–polymer nanoparticles were designed and developed using phospholipids and block copolymers with different preparation protocols. The structures obtained ranged from spherical vesicles to rod-shaped structures, worm-like micelles, and irregular morphologies. The obtained morphologies were correlated with the formulation and preparation parameters and especially the type of lipid, the polymeric guest, and their ratio. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Pharmaceutical Technology II)
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