Title: Porous conducting polymer prepared through liquid crystal template for drug delivery

Authors: Dedeepya Uppalapati; Ben Boyd; Jadranka Travas-Sejdic; Darren Svirskis

Addresses: School of Pharmacy, FMHS, The University of Auckland, Park Road, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand ' Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Victoria, 3052, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University (Parkville Campus), Victoria, 3052, Australia ' Polymer Electronics Research Centre, School of Chemical Sciences, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand; MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand ' School of Pharmacy, FMHS, The University of Auckland, Park Road, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand

Abstract: Unlike conventional controlled drug delivery systems where drug is released at a constant pre-programmed rate, drug release from conducting polymers (CPs) can be controlled through electrical stimuli and adjusted based on the patient's needs. However, owing to their low drug loading capacity and limited electrical responsiveness CP systems cannot currently be applied for systemic drug delivery or to treat chronic disease. To overcome that obstacle one approach is to fabricate porous CP structures. In this work, polypyrrole (PPy) was used owing to its electrical responsiveness and biocompatibility. Liquid crystals were used as a template through which PPy was grown. Dexamethasone phosphate was loaded as a dopant into PPy during polymerisation and its release was quantified by HPLC after the removal of liquid crystal; release could be modified by electrical stimulus. This system has potential applications in conditions where required drug dosing changes with time, such as in age-related macular degeneration.

Keywords: porous conducting polymers; lyotropic liquid crystals; phase transition; scanning electron microscopy; SEM; small angle X-ray scattering; SAXS; polypyrrole; stimuli responsive drug delivery; dexamethasone phosphate; electrical stimulus; biocompatibility; age-related macular degeneration; AMD.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2017.082462

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2017 Vol.14 No.1/2/3/4/5/6, pp.422 - 431

Published online: 24 Feb 2017 *

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