Magnetite nanoparticles (24 nm diameter) with a semi-crystalline diblock copolymer corona were studied for application to a new cancer drug delivery system. The magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized through the decomposition of iron(III) oleate in refluxing 1-octadecene. To create the corona, the alcohol group at the terminus of the polycaprolactone block of a poly(ethylene glycol-b-caprolactone) diblock copolymer was reacted with 3-isocyanatopropyltrimethoxysilane to give a silane coupling agent bound to the polymer by a urethane linkage. When these silane-terminated polymers bind to and coat the surface of 24 nm diameter magnetite nanoparticles, they can form a corona and crystallize, which allows for the entrapment of cancer drug in the center. A sharp peak at 1725 cm-1 in the IR spectrum for the polymer coated particles indicated the polycaprolactone block was crystalline. Dynamic light scattering of these particles dispersed in water showed the average hydrodynamic radius was 28 nm.

Diblock copolymer coated magnetite nanoparticles for cancer therapy

245th National Meeting (2013)

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