Preparation of poly(butyl cyanoacrylate) nanoparticles by aqueous dispersion polymerisation in the presence of insulin

Communication: Butyl cyanoacrylate has been polymerised dispersion in acidi fied water, with introduction of insulin during the reaction to yield nanop articles containing the drug. Polymer molecular weight measurement, carried out by gel permeation chromatography. shows that insulin is capable of ini tiating polymerisation of this monomer, but if the drug is included at the beginning of the synthesis the reaction is not controllable and nanoparticl es are not formed. Introduction of insulin into a dispersed monomer system that has already been initiated by the hydroxyl ion, but is still polymeris ing, gives a controllable synthesis yielding nanoparticles. Molecular weigh t measurement suggests that the insulin is covalently bound rc the polymer chain.