Polymer Nanosheet Containing Star‐Like Copolymers: A Novel Scalable Controlled Release System |
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| Authors: | Peng‐Fei Cao Al de Leon Lihan Rong Ke‐Zhen Yin Eric C Abenojar Zhe Su Brylee David B Tiu Agata A Exner Eric Baer Rigoberto C Advincula |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA;2. Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA;3. Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA;4. Department of Bioengineering and Materials Science and Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA |
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| Abstract: | Poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL)‐based nanomaterials, such as nanoparticles and liposomes, have exhibited great potential as controlled release systems, but the difficulties in large‐scale fabrication limit their practical applications. Among the various methods being developed to fabricate polymer nanosheets (PNSs) for different applications, such as Langmuir–Blodgett technique and layer‐by‐layer assembly, are very effort consuming, and only a few PNSs can be obtained. In this paper, poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐based PNSs with adjustable thickness are obtained in large quantity by simple water exposure of multilayer polymer films, which are fabricated via a layer multiplying coextrusion method. The PNS is also demonstrated as a novel controlled guest release system, in which release kinetics are adjustable by the nanosheet thickness, pH values of the media, and the presence of protecting layers. Theoretical simulations, including Korsmeyer–Peppas model and Finite‐element analysis, are also employed to discern the observed guest‐release mechanisms. |
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| Keywords: | controlled release layer‐multiplying coextrusion multilayer polymer films polymer nanosheets star‐like copolymers |
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