(180bt) Surface Grafting Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-Carboxylic Acid) On Core-Shell Nanoparticles Via Reversible Addition Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization

This research relates to the preparation and characterization of surface grafted poly(N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm)) and poly(carboxylic acid (AA)) on core-shell nano-size iron particles via reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The surface grafted polymers–iron particles yield multifunctional materials. The functionalities consist of cell targeting, imaging, drug delivery, hyperthermia, and immunological response. These materials are synthesized in two steps: i) surface polymerization is used to coat nano-size particles with copolymer of NIPAAm and AA; ii), conjugation of the bio-molecules onto the polymer backbone. The thickness of the core-shell particles and was determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The surface morphology of surface grafted polymers was imaged using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The glass transition temperature of the surface grafted copolymers was characterized by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The fluorescence intensity of conjugated biomolecules was determined using flow cytometry. Multifunctional materials have great potential in biomedical applications, such as non-invasive surgery for cancer treatment.