Submit to Polymers Review for Polymers Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Hydrophilic Polymers

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2018) | Viewed by 104738

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Bernhard V. K. J. Schmidt

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

1. Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
2. School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G128QQ, UK
Interests: double-hydrophilic block copolymer self-assembly; polymerizations in confined spaces; polymers from renewable lignin feedstocks; carbon nitride-based soft polymer materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrophilic polymers have attracted a broad audience in polymer research, mainly due to significant areas of application, e.g., drug delivery, water absorption, sensing, catalysis or waste water remediation. Thus, investigations on structure–property relationships of hydrophilic polymers or on interactions of hydrophilic polymers with biological entities constitute an important task for polymer science. Moreover, the development of novel biocompatible or biodegradable water-soluble polymers has serious impact on up-to-date polymer research. In particular, synthetic polymer chemistry provides novel water-soluble polymer types, architectures or combinations for advanced properties and future applications.

This Special Issue, “Hydrophilic Polymers”, focuses on the latest developments in the field of hydrophilic polymers, both from a fundamental and an application point of view, e.g., the synthesis and characterization of water-soluble polymers as well as their utilization in applications like drug delivery, sensing or as building blocks in soft materials. Papers are sought that discuss research in the area or summarize selected areas of the field.

Dr. Bernhard V. K. J. Schmidt
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

Hydrophilic Polymers
Polymers for drug delivery
Biopolymers
Poly(saccharides)
Poly(ethylene oxide)
Stimuli-responsive polymers
Biocompatible Polymers
Biodegradable Polymers

Published Papers (14 papers)

Download All Papers

Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

5 pages, 186 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Hydrophilic Polymers

by Bernhard V.K.J. Schmidt

Polymers 2019, 11(4), 693; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11040693 - 16 Apr 2019

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 5306

Abstract

Hydrophilic polymers are a major area of polymer research with prominent fields of application, e [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrophilic Polymers)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

12 pages, 3290 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Delayed Crosslinking Amphiphilic Polymer Gel System with Adjustable Gelation Time Based on Competitive Inclusion Method

by Bin Xu, Huiming Zhang and He Bian

Polymers 2019, 11(2), 381; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11020381 - 21 Feb 2019

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4729

Abstract

Delayed crosslinking polymer gel systems are widely utilized in deep profile control processes for water production control in oilfields. In this paper, a kind of delayed crosslinking amphiphilic polymer gel system with adjustable gelation time based on competitive inclusion was prepared and its delayed crosslinking gelling properties were studied. The amphiphilic polymer of P(acrylamide (AM)–sodium acrylate (NaA)–N-dodecylacrylamide (DDAM)) was synthesized and it showed much better salt resistance, temperature resistance, and shear resistance performance compared with hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM). Phenol can be controlled released from the the cavity of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) ring in the presence of the hydrophobic group used as the competitive inclusion agent in the amphiphilic polymer backbone. Accordingly, the gelation time of the delayed crosslinking amphiphilic polymer gel system is closely related to release rate of the crosslinker from the the cavity of β-CD ring. This study screened an amphiphilic polymer with good salt resistance and temperature resistance performance, which can be used in high temperature and high salinity reservoirs, and provided a feasible way to control the gelation time of the polymer gel system by the competitive inclusion method. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrophilic Polymers)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

12 pages, 4466 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Self-Association Behavior of Cell Membrane-Inspired Amphiphilic Random Copolymers in Water

by Maho Ohshio, Kazuhiko Ishihara and Shin-ichi Yusa

Polymers 2019, 11(2), 327; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11020327 - 13 Feb 2019

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4541

Abstract

Water-soluble and amphiphilic random copolymers (P(MPC/DMA_x)) composed of hydrophilic 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) and hydrophobic n-dodecyl methacrylate (DMA) were prepared via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) controlled radical polymerization. The compositions of DMA unit (x) in the copolymer were in the range of 0 to 38 unit mol %. The degree of polymerization of P(MPC/DMA_x) was adjusted to about 200. Since the monomer reactivity ratios of MPC and DMA are 1.01 and 1.00, respectively, ideal free radical copolymerization occurred. In aqueous solutions, interpolymer aggregation occurred due to the hydrophobic pendant n-dodecyl groups. The aggregation number (N_agg) increased with an increasing x. The mobilities of the DMA and MPC pendant groups in aqueous solutions were restricted, as confirmed by ¹H NMR relaxation time measurements, because a part of the MPC units were trapped in the hydrophobic microdomain formed from the pendant n-dodecyl groups. The polarity of the hydrophobic microdomain formed from P(MPC/DMA₃₈) in water was similar to that of ethyl acetate according to fluorescence probe experiments. No specific interactions were found in water between P(MPC/DMA_x) and bovine serum albumin because the surface of the interpolymer aggregates contained only hydrophilic MPC units. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrophilic Polymers)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

11 pages, 2992 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Rheological Characterization of Hydrogels from Alginate-Based Nanodispersion

by Francesca Cuomo, Martina Cofelice and Francesco Lopez

Polymers 2019, 11(2), 259; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11020259 - 03 Feb 2019

Cited by 86 | Viewed by 13369

Abstract

The interest toward alginate and nanoemulsion-based hydrogels is driven by the wide potential of application. These systems have been noticed in several areas, ranging from pharmaceutical, medical, coating, and food industries. In this investigation, hydrogels prepared through in situ calcium ion release, starting from lemongrass essential oil nanodispersions stabilized in alginate aqueous suspensions in the presence of the nonionic surfactant Tween 80, were evaluated. The hydrogels prepared at different concentrations of oil, alginate, and calcium were characterized through rheological tests. Flow curves demonstrate that the hydrogels share shear thinning behavior. Oscillatory tests showed that the strength of the hydrogel network increases with the crosslinker increase, and decreases at low polymer concentrations. The hydrogels were thixotropic materials with a slow time of structural restoration after breakage. Finally, by analyzing the creep recovery data, the hydrogel responses were all fitted to the Burger model. Overall, it was demonstrated that the presence of essential oil in the proposed hydrogels does not affect the mechanical characteristics of the materials, which are mainly influenced by the concentration of polymer and calcium as a crosslinker. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrophilic Polymers)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

8 pages, 1659 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Fast Screening of Diol Impurities in Methoxy Poly(Ethylene Glycol)s (mPEG)s by Liquid Chromatography on Monolithic Silica Rods

by Michaela Brunzel, Tobias C. Majdanski, Jürgen Vitz, Ivo Nischang and Ulrich S. Schubert

Polymers 2018, 10(12), 1395; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10121395 - 16 Dec 2018

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4927

Abstract

The determination of diol impurities in methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)s (mPEG)s is of high importance, e.g., in the area of pharmaceutical applications, since mPEGs are considered the gold standard—based on properties of biocompatibility, stealth effect against the immune system, and well-established procedures used in PEGylation reactions. Herein, we communicate a straightforward and fast approach for the resolution of the PEGdiol impurities in mPEG products by liquid chromatography on reversed-phase monolithic silica-rods. Thus, we utilize fine, in-house prepared and narrow dispersity mPEGs (Ð ≤ 1.1) and commercial PEGdiol standards as a reference. Most efficient analysis of diol impurities becomes possible with reversed-phase liquid chromatography that results in selective elution of the PEGdiol from mPEG macromolecule populations in partition/adsorption mode. We do this by a minimum selectivity of the population of macromolecules characterizing the narrow molar mass distributions of mPEG. Control experiments with intentionally added water at the start of the well-controlled mPEG synthesis via the living anionic ring opening polymerization of ethylene oxide clearly reconciled the existence of PEGdiol impurity in chromatographed samples. The here-demonstrated methodology allows for the resolution of diol impurities of less than one percent in elution times of only a few minutes, confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) of the collected elution fractions. The unique combination of the open flow-through pore structure of the monolithic silica rods and resultant varying accessibility of C18-derivatized pore surfaces indicates beneficial properties for robust and end-group-specific adsorption/partition liquid chromatography of synthetic macromolecules. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrophilic Polymers)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

28 pages, 46210 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Droplet-Assisted Microfluidic Fabrication and Characterization of Multifunctional Polysaccharide Microgels Formed by Multicomponent Reactions

by Nicolas Hauck, Nalin Seixas, Silvia P. Centeno, Raimund Schlüßler, Gheorghe Cojoc, Paul Müller, Jochen Guck, Dominik Wöll, Ludger A. Wessjohann and Julian Thiele

Polymers 2018, 10(10), 1055; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10101055 - 21 Sep 2018

Cited by 33 | Viewed by 7913

Abstract

Polysaccharide-based microgels have broad applications in multi-parametric cell cultures, cell-free biotechnology, and drug delivery. Multicomponent reactions like the Passerini three-component and the Ugi four-component reaction are shown in here to be versatile platforms for fabricating these polysaccharide microgels by droplet microfluidics with a narrow size distribution. While conventional microgel formation requires pre-modification of hydrogel building blocks to introduce certain functionality, in multicomponent reactions one building block can be simply exchanged by another to introduce and extend functionality in a library-like fashion. Beyond synthesizing a range of polysaccharide-based microgels utilizing hyaluronic acid, alginate and chitosan, exemplary in-depth analysis of hyaluronic acid-based Ugi four-component gels is conducted by colloidal probe atomic force microscopy, confocal Brillouin microscopy, quantitative phase imaging, and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy to elucidate the capability of microfluidic multicomponent reactions for forming defined polysaccharide microgel networks. Particularly, the impact of crosslinker amount and length is studied. A higher network density leads to higher Young’s moduli accompanied by smaller pore sizes with lower diffusion coefficients of tracer molecules in the highly homogeneous network, and vice versa. Moreover, tailored building blocks allow for crosslinking the microgels and incorporating functional groups at the same time as demonstrated for biotin-functionalized, chitosan-based microgels formed by Ugi four-component reaction. To these microgels, streptavidin-labeled enzymes are easily conjugated as shown for horseradish peroxidase (HRP), which retains its activity inside the microgels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrophilic Polymers)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

12 pages, 4081 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Network Structure on the Crystallization Behavior in Chemically Crosslinked Hydrogels

by Zhenfang Zhang, Qian Li, Cigdem Yesildag, Christoph Bartsch, Xiaoyuan Zhang, Wei Liu, Axel Loebus, Zhiqiang Su and Marga C. Lensen

Polymers 2018, 10(9), 970; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10090970 - 01 Sep 2018

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5044

Abstract

The network structure of hydrogels is a vital factor to determine their physical properties. Two network structures within hydrogels based on eight-arm star-shaped poly(ethylene glycol)(8PEG) have been obtained; the distinction between the two depends on the way in which the macromonomers were crosslinked: either by (i) commonly-used photo-initiated chain-growth polymerization (8PEG–UV), or (ii) Michael addition step-growth polymerization (8PEG–NH₃). The crystallization of hydrogels is facilitated by a solvent drying process to obtain a thin hydrogel film. Polarized optical microscopy (POM) results reveal that, while in the 8PEG–UV hydrogels only nano-scaled crystallites are apparent, the 8PEG–NH₃ hydrogels exhibit an assembly of giant crystalline domains with spherulite sizes ranging from 100 to 400 µm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses further confirm these results. A model has been proposed to elucidate the correlations between the polymer network structures and the crystallization behavior of PEG-based hydrogels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrophilic Polymers)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

21 pages, 2042 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Efficient Shielding of Polyplexes Using Heterotelechelic Polysarcosines

by Philipp Michael Klein, Kristina Klinker, Wei Zhang, Sarah Kern, Eva Kessel, Ernst Wagner and Matthias Barz

Polymers 2018, 10(6), 689; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10060689 - 20 Jun 2018

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 6815

Abstract

Shielding agents are commonly used to shield polyelectrolyte complexes, e.g., polyplexes, from agglomeration and precipitation in complex media like blood, and thus enhance their in vivo circulation times. Since up to now primarily poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) has been investigated to shield non-viral carriers for systemic delivery, we report on the use of polysarcosine (pSar) as a potential alternative for steric stabilization. A redox-sensitive, cationizable lipo-oligomer structure (containing two cholanic acids attached via a bioreducible disulfide linker to an oligoaminoamide backbone in T-shape configuration) was equipped with azide-functionality by solid phase supported synthesis. After mixing with small interfering RNA (siRNA), lipopolyplexes formed spontaneously and were further surface-functionalized with polysarcosines. Polysarcosine was synthesized by living controlled ring-opening polymerization using an azide-reactive dibenzo-aza-cyclooctyne-amine as an initiator. The shielding ability of the resulting formulations was investigated with biophysical assays and by near-infrared fluorescence bioimaging in mice. The modification of ~100 nm lipopolyplexes was only slightly increased upon functionalization. Cellular uptake into cells was strongly reduced by the pSar shielding. Moreover, polysarcosine-shielded polyplexes showed enhanced blood circulation times in bioimaging studies compared to unshielded polyplexes and similar to PEG-shielded polyplexes. Therefore, polysarcosine is a promising alternative for the shielding of non-viral, lipo-cationic polyplexes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrophilic Polymers)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

16 pages, 2918 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Dual Stimuli-Responsive P(NIPAAm-co-SPA) Copolymers: Synthesis and Response in Solution and in Films

by Oliver Grimm and Felix H. Schacher

Polymers 2018, 10(6), 645; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10060645 - 09 Jun 2018

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 5735

Abstract

We present the synthesis and solution properties of dual stimuli-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-spiropyran acrylate) (P(NIPAAm-co-SPA)) copolymers of varying composition prepared via nitroxide-mediated copolymerization. The resulting copolymers feature molar masses from 40,000 to 100,000 g/mol according to static light scattering and an SPA content of up to 5.3%. The latter was determined by ¹H NMR spectroscopy and UV–Vis spectroscopy. These materials exhibit reversible response upon irradiation in polymeric films for a minimum of three cycles; their response in solution to both light and temperature was also investigated in an aqueous TRIS buffer (pH 8). Irradiation was carried out using LED setups with wavelengths of 365 and 590 nm. In aqueous solution, a custom-made setup using a fiber-coupled 200 W Hg(Xe) lamp with 340 and 540 nm filters was used and additional heating of the copolymer solutions during irradiation allowed to study influence of the presence of either the spiropyran or merocyanine form on the cloud point temperature. Hereby, it was found that increasing the SPA content leads to a more pronounced difference between both states and decreasing cloud points in general. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrophilic Polymers)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

18 pages, 2968 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Cellulose/Laponite Interpenetrated Polymer Network (IPN) Hydrogel: Controllable Double-Network Structure with High Modulus

by Fan Xie, Cécile Boyer, Victor Gaborit, Thierry Rouillon, Jérôme Guicheux, Jean-François Tassin, Valérie Geoffroy, Gildas Réthoré and Pierre Weiss

Polymers 2018, 10(6), 634; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10060634 - 08 Jun 2018

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5584

Abstract

Laponite XLS™, which is a synthetic clay of nanometric dimensions containing a peptizing agent, has been associated with silanized hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (Si-HPMC) to form, after crosslinking, a novel composite hydrogel. Different protocols of sample preparation were used, leading to different morphologies. A key result was that the storage modulus of Si-HPMC/XLS composite hydrogel could be increased ten times when compared to that of pure Si-HPMC hydrogel using 2 wt % of Laponite. The viscoelastic properties of the composite formulations indicated that chemical and physical network structures co-existed in the Si-HPMC/XLS composite hydrogel. Images that were obtained from confocal laser scanning microscopy using labelled Laponite XLS in the composite hydrogels show two co-continuous areas: red light area and dark area. The tracking of fluorescent microspheres motions in the composite formulations revealed that the red-light area was a dense structure, whereas the dark area was rather loose without aggregated Laponite. This novel special double-network structure facilitates the composite hydrogel to be an adapted biomaterial for specific tissue engineering. Unfortunately, cytotoxicity’s assays suggested that XLS Laponites are cytotoxic at low concentration. This study validates that the hybrid interpenetrated network IPN hydrogel has a high modulus that has adapted for tissue engineering, but the cell’s internalization of Laponites has to be controlled. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrophilic Polymers)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

16 pages, 23932 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thermoadaptive Supramolecular α-Cyclodextrin Crystallization-Based Hydrogels via Double Hydrophilic Block Copolymer Templating

by Tingting Li, Baris Kumru, Noah Al Nakeeb, Jochen Willersinn and Bernhard V. K. J. Schmidt

Polymers 2018, 10(6), 576; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10060576 - 23 May 2018

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4910

Abstract

Supramolecular hydrogels play a prominent role in contemporary research of hydrophilic polymers. Especially, hydrogels based on α-cyclodextrin/poly(ethylene glycol) (α-CD/PEG) complexation and crystal formation are studied frequently. Here, the effect of double hydrophilic block copolymers (DHBCs) on α-CD/PEG hydrogel properties is investigated. Therefore, a novel DHBC, namely poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)-b-poly(oligo ethylene glycol methacrylate) (PVP-b-POEGMA), was synthesized via a combination of reversible deactivation radical polymerization and modular conjugation methods. In the next step, hydrogel formation was studied after α-CD addition. Interestingly, DHBC-based hydrogels showed a significant response to thermal history. Heating of the gels to different temperatures led to different mechanical properties after cooling to ambient temperature, i.e., gels with mechanical properties similar to the initial gels or weak flowing gels were obtained. Thus, the hydrogels showed thermoadaptive behavior, which might be an interesting property for future applications in sensing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrophilic Polymers)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

11 pages, 1661 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hyperbranched Glycopolymers of 2-(α-d-Mannopyranose) Ethyl Methacrylate and N,N’-Methylenebisacrylamide: Synthesis, Characterization and Multivalent Recognitions with Concanavalin A

by Yuangong Zhang, Bo Wang, Ye Zhang, Ying Zheng, Xin Wen, Libin Bai and Yonggang Wu

Polymers 2018, 10(2), 171; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10020171 - 10 Feb 2018

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4287

Abstract

A series of novel hyperbranched poly[2-(α-d-mannopyranosyloxy) ethyl methacrylate-co-N,N’-methylenebisacrylamide] (HPManEMA-co-MBA) are synthesized via a reversible addition fragmentation polymerization (RAFT). The dosage ratios of linear and branch units are tuned to obtain different degree of branching (DB) in hyperbranched glycopolymers. The DB values are calculated according to the content of nitrogen, which are facilely determined by elemental analysis. The lectin-binding properties of HPManEMA-co-MBA to concanavalin A (ConA) are examined using a turbidimetric assay. The influence of defined DB value and molecular weight of HPManEMA-co-MBA on the clustering rate is studied. Notably, HPManEMA-co-MBAs display a low cytotoxicity in the MTT assay, thus are potential candidates for biomedical applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrophilic Polymers)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

25 pages, 1637 KiB

Open AccessReview

Polyphilicity—An Extension of the Concept of Amphiphilicity in Polymers

by Daniel Heinz, Elkin Amado and Jörg Kressler

Polymers 2018, 10(9), 960; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10090960 - 30 Aug 2018

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5846

Abstract

Recent developments in synthetic pathways as simple reversible-deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) techniques and quantitative post-polymerization reactions, most notoriously ‘click’ reactions, leading to segmented copolymers, have broadened the molecular architectures accessible to polymer chemists as a matter of routine. Segments can be blocks, grafted chains, branchings, telechelic end-groups, covalently attached nanoparticles, nanodomains in networks, even sequences of random copolymers, and so on. In this review, we describe the variety of the segmented synthetic copolymers landscape from the point of view of their chemical affinity, or synonymous philicity, in bulk or with their surroundings, such as solvents, permeant gases, and solid surfaces. We focus on recent contributions, current trends, and perspectives regarding polyphilic copolymers, which have, in addition to hydrophilic and lipophilic segments, other philicities, for example, towards solvents, fluorophilic entities, ions, silicones, metals, nanoparticles, and liquid crystalline moieties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrophilic Polymers)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

14 pages, 1946 KiB

Open AccessReview

Polymer-Based Nanomaterials and Applications for Vaccines and Drugs

by Jinyu Han, Dandan Zhao, Dan Li, Xiaohua Wang, Zheng Jin and Kai Zhao

Polymers 2018, 10(1), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10010031 - 02 Jan 2018

Cited by 226 | Viewed by 23346

Abstract

Nanotechnology plays a significant role in drug development. As carriers, polymeric nanoparticles can deliver vaccine antigens, proteins, and drugs to the desired site of action. Polymeric nanoparticles with lower cytotoxicity can protect the delivered antigens or drugs from degradation under unfavorable conditions via a mucosal administration route; further, the uptake of nanoparticles by antigen-presenting cells can increase and induce potent immune responses. Additionally, nanomaterials are widely used in vaccine delivery systems because nanomaterials can make the vaccine antigen long-acting. This review focuses on some biodegradable polymer materials such as natural polymeric nanomaterials, chemically synthesized polymer materials, and biosynthesized polymeric materials, and points out the advantages and the direction of research on degradable polymeric materials. The application and future perspectives of polymeric materials as delivery carriers and vaccine adjuvants in the field of drugs and vaccines are presented. With the increase of knowledge and fundamental understandings of polymer-based nanomaterials, means of integrating some other attractive properties, such as slow release, target delivery, and alternative administration methods and delivery pathways are feasible. Polymer-based nanomaterials have great potential for the development of novel vaccines and drug systems for certain needs, including single-dose and needle-free deliveries of vaccine antigens and drugs in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrophilic Polymers)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Hydrophilic Polymers

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (14 papers)

Editorial

Research

Review

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI