Modelling the impact of temperature on nanocarrier behavior: Thermodynamics, structural transitions, and drug release.

Linking interfacial behavior to thermo-diffusive cisplatin release in biopolymeric nanogels.

Cisplatin-loaded biopolymeric nanogels are promising carriers for sustained anticancer drug delivery; however, establishing physically interpretable links between formulation structure, transport behavior, and temperature-dependent release remains challenging. Here, mucilage-alginate-coated chitosan (MACC) nanogels were developed and evaluated using an integrated framework combining empirical kinetic analysis, mechanistic thermo-diffusive modeling, and complementary interfacial characterization. Basil seed mucilage was incorporated as a hydrophilic shell modifier to tune nanogel physicochemical behavior and release performance. The optimized MACC₂ formulation showed stable core-shell morphology, an average particle size of 75 ± 12 nm, and an encapsulation efficiency of 46.85%. In vitro assays demonstrated high compatibility with normal fibroblast cells and dose-dependent inhibition of MCF-7 breast cancer cells, supporting controlled cisplatin delivery. Drug release in PBS (pH 7.4) followed a biphasic profile with an initial burst stage and a sustained diffusion-dominated regime. Temperature-dependent studies at 35-39 °C showed accelerated release, with effective diffusion coefficients increasing from 2.0 × 10-21 to 3.6 × 10-21 m2 s-1, while Arrhenius analysis supported thermally activated transport within the hydrated polymeric matrix. Empirical kinetic modeling further indicated predominantly diffusion-controlled release with secondary polymer-relaxation contributions. Air-water interfacial tensiometry showed reduced interfacial activity for mucilage-containing nanogels, consistent with increased aqueous affinity and formulation-dependent physicochemical behavior. These measurements were interpreted as complementary descriptors rather than direct evidence of hydration or bulk diffusion. Overall, this integrated empirical-mechanistic-interfacial framework provides a physically interpretable approach for analyzing thermo-diffusive cisplatin transport in hydrated biopolymeric nanogels.

Protocol-Dependent Effects on Colloidal Characterization and Drug Loading/Release Analysis of Thermosensitive PNIPAM-co-COOH Microgels

This work analyzes protocol-dependent effects on the colloidal characterization and drug loading/release analysis of model thermosensitive PNIPAM-co-COOH microgels and shows how they can be quantified or minimized through targeted methodological refinements. Findings reveal that standard single-beam DLS underestimates the collapsed hydrodynamic radius by 18% at 43 °C due to thermal convection. After drift correction, 3D-DLS combined with SLS provides a consistent description of thermally induced collapse, pH-dependent swelling and core–corona structure. Regarding drug delivery, loading efficiency for Doxorubicin and 5-Fluorouracil is maximized near the volume phase transition temperature, where hydrophobic interactions are strongest. For release studies, dialysis is recommended, but free-drug blanks are required to account for membrane-induced delay and ensure accurate early kinetic profiles. By integrating TEM, AFM, SLS, DLS, NTA and LDE, this study establishes a robust framework for the colloidal characterization of thermosensitive microgels. These refinements reduce experimental bias and may be extended to related soft nanocarriers.

Structure–property relationships in ABC-type polymer carriers: exploring drug loading and release behavior via dissipative particle dynamics simulation

The topological architecture of polymer carriers is a critical determinant of their drug loading capacity and release characteristics. This study employed dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations to systematically investigate the drug distribution and pH-responsive release behavior of three ABC-type polymer carriers with identical block compositions (where A is hydrophobic, B is pH-responsive, and C is hydrophilic) but distinct topologies: miktoarm star polymer, linear triblock copolymer, and star block copolymer. The simulation results revealed the fundamental differences in the drug distribution mechanism induced by the topological architecture of polymers. The miktoarm star polymer enables a unique “core–shell dual loading” mode, where drug molecules (doxorubicin, DOX) are simultaneously encapsulated within both the hydrophobic core and the pH-responsive intermediate layer. In contrast, within the micelles of linear and block-star copolymers, drug molecules are predominantly confined to the intermediate layer. Despite both the linear and star block copolymer systems exhibiting a “shell-loading” mode for drug distribution, the star block copolymers demonstrate a faster drug release under acidic conditions, whereas the linear block copolymers exhibit gradual drug release. Through the analysis of the interfacial electrostatic environment, we observed that a balanced ion distribution facilitates drug release in the star block copolymer system, whereas a counterion barrier arising from an overcharging effect impedes release in the linear block copolymer system. This study highlights the topological design as a robust strategy for precisely modulating both the spatial distribution and release behavior of therapeutic agents within nanocarriers.

Fusion kinetics and thermomechanical behavior of Ni–Pd core–shell nanoparticles: insights from molecular dynamics simulations

Mechanistic insights into gelation and rheological behavior of Pluronic F127-based thermoresponsive hydrogels

Nanoparticle-Enabled Interfacial Kinetic Control of Bond-Exchange Reactions: Insights from Biomedical Poly(ε-caprolactone)-Based Dynamic Polymers

Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)-based dynamic polymers are promising adaptive biomaterials due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and high chain mobility; however, the onset temperature for bond-exchange reactions, often referred to as topology-freezing temperature, Tv, remains difficult to control and is typically treated as a bulk property governed by catalyst selection and network structure. Consequently, many reported dynamic polymers operate at temperatures well above the biomedical operating window, limiting their biomedical applicability. Here, we propose an interfacial kinetic engineering strategy in which nanoparticle–polymer interfaces act as localized kinetic regulators of dynamic covalent bond exchange. By tailoring nanoparticle (NP) surface chemistry, including functional group density, polarity, and catalytic activity, the activation energy (Ea) can be modulated at the nanoscale, enabling programmable control of Tv. Exchange kinetics in PCL-based dynamic polymers are expected to be highly sensitive to the local chemical environment, indicating that interfacial effects can decouple dynamic behavior from bulk composition. This perspective establishes NP–dynamic polymer interfaces as a programmable kinetic design parameter for controlling bond-exchange reactions in dynamic polymer networks, opening a pathway toward spatially defined covalent adaptable materials with application-specific and programmable dynamic behavior.