Hydrophilic stimuli-responsive particles for biomedical applications

Hydrophilic and stimuli-responsive submicronic latex particles based on pol yalkyl(meth)acrylamide can be prepared owing to simple radical-initiated po lymerizations in heterogeneous media using a water-soluble initiator and a crosslinker (methylenebisacrylamide). The paper aims at reviewing the synth esis and properties of functionalized polystyrene-polyN-isoprpylacrylamide core-shell particles or polyN-isopropylmethacrylamide microgel particles. P article size of analysis showed that a short nucleation period afforded the synthesis of highly monodispersed latexes. The dramatic change of the coll oidal properties (particle size, electrophoretic mobility) was found to ref lect the thermal sensitivity of such particles. The hydrophilic nature of t he particles below the volume phase transition temperature was found to dra stically reduce the physical adsorption of proteins. Some examples of biome dical applications of these stimuli-responsive particles are briefly report ed.