Temperature-responsive hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-N-isopropylacrylamide aerogels for drug delivery systems

Temperature-responsive aerogels from hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)-grafted N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) were developed for the first time as a novel drug delivery system. The morphology and structure of temperature-responsive HPMC-NIPAM aerogels were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analyses. Water-soluble 5-fluorouracil was used as a model drug to study drug loading and release. Drug release experiments demonstrated a sustained and controlled release behavior of the HPMC-NIPAM aerogels that were highly dependent on temperature. Meanwhile, the first-order kinetic model, Higuchi model, and Korsmyer-Peppas model were used to fit the sustained-release curve of drug-loaded aerogel revealing a sustained-release mechanism.