Controlled release from block copolymer hydrogel fibres

A. Nykänen1 , M. Nuopponen2, S.-P. Hirvonen2 , H. Tenhu2 , R. Mezzenga3 , J. Ruokolainen1

1
Helsinki University of Technology, Department of Applied Physics, P.O. Box 5100, FIN-
02015, Finland. 2 University of Helsinki, Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 55, FIN-
00014, Finland. 3 Department of Physics University of Fribourg, Perolles Fribourg, CH-
1700, Switzerland
email: antti.nykanen@tkk.fi

Electrospinning is a facile method for producing submicrometer scale fibres, which are
of a great interest due to the high surface area and high aspect ratio [1]. These properties
can be used for example to produce ultra fast drug release materials.

Readily crosslinked electrospun hydrogel fibres can be obtained by using symmetric ABA
triblock copolymers, where the A end blocks have hydrophobic nature [2]. Hydrophobic
domains consisting of polymer end block chains act as physical crosslinks in the hy-
drogel matrix. In this study electrospun hydrogel fibres are formed using triblock copoly-
mer polystyrene-block-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-block-polystyrene where the middle
block is temperature responsive and its solubility to water can be switched by changing
the water temperature. Below 32 ◦ C the poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) is water soluble but
becomes hydrophobic as the water temperature exceeds 32 ◦ C. Thus the temperature in
principle can be used to trigger the release by changing the material state from hydropho-
bic to hydrophilic. Release of water soluble dye (Methyl orange) from preloaded fibres
is studied below and above 32 ◦ C in water and compared to the release from bulk (Figure
1). As expected it is found out that the release rate is much higher for electrospun nanofi-
bres compared to the bulk. Also the release rate is higher at low temperature, when the
material is hydropholic.

1.0

0.8
Dye total release

0.6 Fiber RT
Fiber 40
Bulk RT
0.4 Bulk 40

0.2

0.00 5 10 15 20 25 30
Time [min]

Figure 1: Dye release from electrospun fibres and bulk as a function of time measured at
room temperature and at 40 ◦ C.

[1] D. Li and Y. N. Xia, Advanced Materials 16 (2004) 1151.

[2] L. Wang; P. D. Topham; O. O. Mykhaylyk; J. R. Howse; W. Bras; R. A. L. Jones; A.
J. Ryan, Advanced Materials 19 (2007) 3544.