Light-Responsive Serinol-Based Polyurethane Nanocarrier for Controlled Drug Release

Abstract

In the present work, a new and facile strategy for the synthesis of light-responsive polyurethanes (LrPUs) based on serinol with o-nitrobenzyl pendent groups is developed. Stable monodisperse nanoparticles from these LrPUs can be formulated reproducibly in a simple manner, which is shown by dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements. Upon irradiation with UV light, both polymers and nanoparticles undergo rapid degradation, which is investigated by DLS, scanning electron microscopy, size exclusion chromatography, and UV-vis spectroscopy. The nanoparticles are also employed for the encapsulation of the model drug Nile Red, and by exposure to UV light, a burst release of the payload is detected via fluorescence spectroscopy. This strategy can be easily applied to the straightforward synthesis of various new serinol-based monomers with different stimuli-responsive properties and therefore expand the family of biodegradable polymers.

Keywords: drug delivery; light-responsive polymers; nanoparticles; polyurethane.