A polyethylene glycol-tethered amphiphilic calix[4]pyrrole compound (C4P-PEG) was synthesized via an esterification reaction between the corresponding alcohol-functionalised calix[4]pyrrole and carboxylic acid ended polyethylene glycol. The structure of C4P-PEG was confirmed by means of NMR spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Complexation ability of the control compound octamethylcalix[4]pyrrole and C4P-PEG with chemotherapeutic cancer drug, doxorubicin-HCl, were shown with the aid of various NMR techniques in DMSO, containing 1.5% (wt) water. Nonionic amphiphilic calix[4]pyrrole compound C4P-PEG was then shown to produce stable micelles in water. The title compound was also used to encapsulate doxorubicin-HCl in aqueous medium and its concurrent drug release ability was illustrated under acidic and basic conditions. While the characterizations of drug-free and drug-loaded micelles were carried out with dynamic light scattering experiments and transmission electron microscopy, drug loading capacity, encapsulation efficiency and in-vitro drug release profiles was studied with the aid of UV-vis spectrophotometry.

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