Ouzo polymerization: A bottom-up green synthesis of polymer nanoparticles by free-radical polymerization of monomers spontaneously nucleated by the Ouzo effect; Application to molecular imprinting.

Hypothesis: Top-down fabrication of polymer nanoparticles from preformed polymers by spontaneous colloid formation under influence of the Ouzo effect is a widely applied concept whereas bottom-up free-radical polymerization of monomers nucleated under the Ouzo regime have found limited application after a seminal report almost half a century ago. We hypothesized that the approach would be of value today as a versatile method for green synthesis of polymer nanoparticles, including molecularly imprinted ones.

Experiments: Ternary mixtures of pentaerythritol triacrylate, ethanol, and water were prepared by either a one-pot-one-step batch-wise procedure or a continuous-flow process using a 3D-printed micro-fluidic mixer.

Molecularly imprinted polymer nanocarriers for sustained release of erythromycin.

Purpose: To develop and evaluate molecularly imprinted nanocarriers for sustained release of erythromycin in physiological buffer media.

Methods: Erythromycin-imprinted poly(methacrylic acid-co-trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate) nanocarriers and corresponding control nanocarriers were prepared by free-radical precipitation polymerization. The nanocarriers were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and nitrogen sorption analysis.

QSRR analysis of β-lactam antibiotics on a penicillin G targeted MIP stationary phase.

The imprinting factors of the β-lactam antibiotics penicillin V, methicillin, nafcillin, oxacillin, cloxacillin, dicloxacillin, and piperacillin on a poly(methacrylic acid-co-trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate) molecularly imprinted stationary phase targeted for penicillin G were correlated with molecular descriptors obtained by molecular computation. One-parameter linear regression and multivariate data analysis by principal component analysis and partial least square regression indicated that descriptors associated with molecular topology, shape, size, and volume were highly correlated with the imprinting factor and influential on the derived models.

The use of magnetite nanoparticles for implant-assisted magnetic drug targeting in thrombolytic therapy.

Implant-assisted targeting of magnetic particles under the influence of an external magnetic field has previously been verified through mathematical modeling, in vitro studies, and in vivo studies on rat carotid arteries as a feasible method for localized drug delivery. The present study focuses on the development of nanoparticles for the treatment of in-stent thrombosis. Magnetic nanoparticles in the size-range 10-30 nm were synthesized in a one-pot procedure by precipitation of ferrous hydroxide followed by oxidation to magnetite.

Influence of salt ions on binding to molecularly imprinted polymers.

Salt ions were found to have an influence on template binding to two model molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), targeted to penicillin G and propranolol, respectively, in water-acetonitrile mixtures. Water was detrimental to rebinding of penicillin G whereas propranolol bound in the entire water-acetonitrile range tested. In 100% aqueous solution, 3-M salt solutions augmented the binding of both templates.

Development and evaluation of spherical molecularly imprinted polymer beads.

The majority of studies on molecularly imprinted polymers has until now been carried out on irregularly shaped particles prepared by grinding of polymer monoliths. The preparation procedures are time- and labor-consuming and produce particles of wide size distributions. To answer the need for fast and straightforward routes to spherical molecularly imprinted polymer beads, we have developed a method comprising the formation of droplets of pre-polymerization solution directly in mineral oil by vigorous mixing followed by transformation of the droplets into solid spherical beads by photoinduced free-radical polymerization.

Molecular engineering of fluorescent penicillins for molecularly imprinted polymer assays.

The interaction of seven novel fluorescent labeled beta-lactams with a library of six polymer materials molecularly imprinted (MI) with penicillin G (PenG) has been evaluated using both radioactive and fluorescence competitive assays. The highly fluorescent competitors (emission quantum yields of 0.4-0.

Synthesis and screening of a molecularly imprinted polymer library targeted for penicillin G.

A library of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) was synthesized by radical bulk polymerization using the beta-lactam antibiotic penicillin G as the template. Diversity of the library was obtained by combining various functionalized monomers and cross-linkers and by varying the stoichiometry and the concentration of the components in the prepolymerization mixtures. The library was screened for selectivity to penicillin G by a radioligand binding assay and was compared to a corresponding control library.