Synthesis, characterization and drug release application of carbon nanotube-polymer nanosphere composites

We report here a successful in situ synthesis of block copolymer nanospheres (CPNS) on the side-walls of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to create functional nanomaterials. The thermo-sensitive CPNS with an average size of about 100 nm were created along MWCNTs by an one-pot atom transfer radical polymerization reaction with poly(ethylene oxide) macromonomer and N-isopropylacrylamide monomer. The synthesized MWCNT-CPNS nanocomposites were characterized and confirmed by FT-IR, H-1 NMR, and Raman spectroscopy. The amount of grafted polymers on MWCNTs was measured by TGA. The formation of CPNS along the side-walls of MWCNTs was observed and identified by TEM. Furthermore, the newly-created MWCNT-CPNS nanocomposites were used as novel carriers for controlled anticancer drug (adriamycin) release. The obtained results indicate that the release amount of drugs varied greatly below and above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the used thermo-sensitive polymer, and therefore the synthesized MWCNT-CPNS nanocomposites can be used as a kind of potential candidate for drug delivery and release. We expect the novel thermo-sensitive nanocomposites based on MWCNTs and CPNS will have wider applications in in vivo targeted drug delivery and release.