Polymeric Nanomaterials for Fluorescent-Based Thermal Sensing and Controlled Drug Delivery

Abstract

Temperature is a critical parameter that controls many physical and chemical phenomena in various fields. Nonetheless, its importance, we still lack a powerful tool to accurately measure its variations at the nano-scale. In this work we aim to develop fluorescent based thermal probes to map temparture in lipid membranes and thin polymer films. As will we aim to take advantage of the thermal sensitivity of a polymeric material to develope controlled drug delivery system. Subsequently, temperature variations at the nanoscale when the drug is being released can be studied with high spatial resolution uisng the thermal probe. In turn, this will help in unraveling the underlying mechanisms related to drug delivery at the nanosale level.

In the first project, we report the development of a ratiometric thermal fluorescent probe. This probe is based on the Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between a lipid-embedded conjugated polyelectrolyte and a lyophilic acceptor dye. The probe showed a thermal response within the body physiological temperature. The FRET pair was stable under multiple cycling and pH variations.

In the second project we report on the ratiometric thermal sensitivity of conjugated polyelectrolyte based thermal probe when complexed with PVP copolymers (co-vinyl acetate (VA) and co-polystyrene (PS)) in solution. The thermal sensitivity was then assesd when the mixture was spun casted on quartz slides and mixed with Rhodamine B. The signal was quantified with the change in temperature using a DSLR camera.

In the third project we took advantage of the thermal sensitivity of a hydrogel to develope magnetic agarose nanocarriers for controlled curcumin release. In this work the heat generated on the MNP surafce is degrading the agarose polymeric netwrok along with mechanical deformation caused by the MNP vibrations when subjected to an alternating magentic field.