Date of Award
Spring 5-2018
Degree Type
Honors College Thesis
First Advisor
Charles McCormick
Advisor Department
Polymers and High Performance Materials
Abstract
Many chemotherapeutic drugs are small, hydrophobic molecules that require water-soluble, biocompatible nanocarriers for enhanced vascular circulation. Existing polymeric carriers either conjugate the drug along a copolymer backbone or sequester drugs within a protected interior domain to be delivered to specific sites in the body. Such therapeutic systems must overcome a myriad of hurdles, beginning with complex, multi-step syntheses, followed by other inherent barriers that limit the efficiency of drug delivery at the targeted site. This work aims to circumvent a number of these issues using biocompatible, stimuli-responsive polysoaps that are capable of unimeric micelle formation, hydrophobic drug delivery, and triggered release, regardless of dilution effects. These copolymers are prepared via RAFT copolymerization of N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide (HPMA) and dodecylpropyldisulfide methacrylamide (DPDMA). The facile synthesis of these polysoaps and their ability to function at high dilution are promising indicators of their utility in future applications.
Copyright
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Recommended Citation
Dearborn, Mason, "Biocompatible, Responsive Polysoaps via RAFT Copolymerization for the Delivery of Model Cancer Therapeutics" (2018). Honors Theses. 562.
https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/562