4-Vinylpyridine-Based Smart Nanoparticles with N-Isopropylacrylamide, 2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate, Acrylic acid, and Methacrylic Acid for Potential Biomedical Applications

Stimuli-responsive (pH, temperature and magnetic field) 4-vinylpyridine (4-VP)-based nanoparticles in copolymeric formulation with core-shell morphology were synthesized using N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), acrylic acid (AAc), and methacrylic acid (MAc) as shell-forming monomers. Keeping the 4-VP ratio constant and varying the comonomer amounts produced particles with variant shell thickness. Multi-responsive p(4-VP)-based nanoparticles were further modified by reacting with different functional groups containing bromoalkanes by quaternization. These p(4-VP)-based particles were also utilized to include composite materials by encapsulating separately prepared magnetic ferrites. To demonstrate the potential usage of the synthesized particles and their modified forms as drug delivery devices, naproxene sodium salt as an antibacterial drug was used for in vitro release studies in PBS.