Polymerized Ionic Liquids-based Hydrogels as Innovative Drug Carriers in Controllable and Individualized Dosage Forms

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Julia Großeheilmann
• Subject Area: Technical Chemistry
• Term: from 2019 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 423657739

Due to the growing demand for a controlled release of drugs in the pharmaceutical industry, there has been renewed interest in the development of novel and reliable drug delivery systems. In terms of this challenging task, the literature considers various approaches, including embedding drugs in hydrogels. The disadvantages of already existing intelligent hydrogels are their low mechanical stability, limited and not completely reversible swelling capacity, and slow response to external stimuli. To improve these properties, this research project seeks to synthesize, chemically modify, and optimize novel polymerized ionic liquids (PILs)-based hydrogels as drug carriers. This research aims to achieve selective drug release from hydrogels over a defined period and at a specific location to control the duration of action while minimizing undesired effects outside the site of action. The swelling property of hydrogels is a significant factor for diffusion-controlled and chemically controlled releases, and this property is investigated in this research project. The swelling and release profile should be adjusted depending on various parameters, such as the crosslinker amount, IL monomer, water content, drying method, and the molecular weight of the active ingredient and solvent. Protein kinase inhibitors should be used as the first model substances for the swelling and release experiments. PILs have a specific advantage: their porous polymer structure has a very large internal surface. Therefore, their properties, such as the lipophilic-hydrophilic balance, can be tailored by modifying their chemical functionalities. In addition to their high capacity for water storage, these materials show different swelling and shrinking behaviors in aqueous and organic media. This feature could be used to achieve the targeted stimulus-responsive release of active ingredients as a function of external influences, such as pH, temperature, light, and pressure, using targeted functionalization. Due to the large variations in physiological pH at various body sites, the required amount of active agents is made available at the desired time and site of action in the body by pH-dependent swelling behavior.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants