Potential application of thermo-sensitive hydrogels for controlled release of phenacetin

Abstract

Over the past years, many scientific research studies have been focused on thermo-sensi-tive hydrogels containing N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) as a monomer. The NIPAM based hydrogels with 20 mol% 2-Hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMet) were synthesized using ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a cross-linker. The characterization of xerogel and phe-nacetin using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)confirm the performed synthesis with satisfactory purity as well as loading of phenacetin into hydrogel. The swelling transport mechanism at simulated physiological conditions (pH 2.20 and 7.40 at 37 °C) is described by the time-independent kinetics. The potential application of synthesized hydrogels for the controlled release of phenacetin as a model drug was investigated at simulated physiological conditions by HPLC method.