Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) are renewable, biodegradable and biocompatible, which makes them ideal candidates as carriers in drug delivery applications. However, in-depth chemical and structural characterization of the CNF surface chemistry is often a challenge, especially for low weight percentage of functionalization compatible with drug delivery applications.<br/>In this presentation, we will show how we use Dynamic Nuclear Polarization to overcome the sensitivity limitation of conventional solid-state NMR and gain insight into the surface chemistry of CNF functionalized with prodrugs (e.g. modified metronidazole, ciprofloxacin). In particular, we will show how the DNP-NMR data can be used to unambiguously differentiate adsorption from covalent grafting, localize the position of functionalization and quantify the overall drug loading. Finally, we will discuss the importance of optimizing the washing conditions of the final product and show that they can induce cleavage of the prodrug linkers. Overall, this work highlights the importance of atomic-scale characterization for the design of drug carrier in the future.

Unraveling surface chemistry of cellulose nanofibrils by dynamic nuclear polarization enhanced solid-state NMR

ACS Spring 2022

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