Determining the molecular-weight and interfacial properties of chitosan built nanohydrogel for controlled drug delivery applications

Abstract

Recent development in polymeric nanohydrogel demands surface modification, interfacial properties and determination of molecular weight for effective drug loading and release studies. Therefore, chitosan built nanohydrogel were synthesized via free radical copolymerization and functionalized with hydrophilic ligands to act as amphiphilic diblock copolymers in aqueous medium. The investigated properties like porosity (61- 73 %) , cross-linking density (20.38- 25.22), critical micelle concentration (CMC≈ 0.41- 0.62 g/L), thermodynamic of adsorption followed by micellization, and the molecular weight of chitosan built nanohydrogel (Mw ≈11.59- 13.05 x 105 (g/mol, determined by applying Debye plot) have been investigated as a new tool to understand the art and chemical identity of hydrogel at air- water interface in aqueous medium regarding controlled drug delivery applications.