Responsive tunable colloidal soft materials based on p(4-VP) for potential biomedical and environmental applications

Tunable poly(4-vinylpyridine) (p(4-VP)) nanoparticles were synthesized in an oil-in-water emulsion using ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the cross-linker and ammonium persulfate (APS) as the initiator. The modification of p(4-VP) particles with N-alkyl quaternization was carried out through reacting with various quaternization agents containing carbon chains of various lengths, such as HCl, bromoethane, 1-bromobutane and 1-bromohexane. The obtained nanostructures were demonstrated to be resourceful materials as they are adaptable in terms of charge, size, hydrophilic/hydrophobic nature and magnetic responsive ability, rendered by encasing magnetic ferrites in the particles, for guidable use. Furthermore, the p(4-VP) particles have been shown to be inventive materials for biomedical applications, such as drug release systems using a model drug release of Naproxene Sodium, and as environmental materials to remove organic toxic phenols. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.