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A stimuli-responsive microgel is a three-dimensional polymer network that is able to absorb and expel a solvent (commonly water). These materials are unique in the fact that their sponge-like behavior can be actuated by environmental cues, like temperature, ion concentration, pH, and light. Because of the dynamic properties of these materials they have found applications in drug-delivery systems, micro-assays, selective filtration, artificial muscle, and non-fouling surfaces. The most well-known stimuli-responsive polymer is Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) or PNIPAAm and it experiences a switchable swelling or deswelling over a critical temperature ( Tc=~32°C). Below the critical temperature, the gel begins mixing with the surrounding solvent and swells; above this temperature, the opposite is true. The unconstrained hydrogel will continue to swell in all directions until equilibrium is established between its propensity for mixing with the surrounding solvent and the elastic restoring forces of the gel matrix. The strength of the elastic restoring forces is dependent on the interconnectedness of the polymer network and is therefore a function of crosslink density. An increase in crosslink density results in a decreased swelling and vice versa. If the hydrogel is mechanically constrained to a surface, it can experience various wrinkling and buckling conformations upon swelling, as the stresses associated with its confinement are relieved. These conformation characteristics are a strong function of geometry (aspect ratio) and extent of swelling (i.e. crosslink density). In order to capitalize on the utility of this material, it is imperative that its volume transition is well characterized and understood. Toward this end, pNIPAAm gels have been created with 1x10-7 to 2x10-³ mol/cm³ crosslink density and characterized. This was done by first examining its bulk, unattached swelling ability and then by evaluating its microscale properties as a surfaceconfined monolithe. The latter was achieved through the use of confocal microscopy and copolymerization with a fluorescent monomer. This method allows for a detail analysis of the deformations experienced (bulk-structural bending and surface undulating) and will ultimately lend itself to the correlation between crosslink density and the onset of mechanical phenomena.

Submitted by Anna Carolina Telatin Tognolo null (carol.telatin@hotmail.com) on 2017-08-31T18:27:57Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Defesa_final Anna Carolina Telatin Tognolo.pdf: 2257425 bytes, checksum: 23469d70943bc2e64ecd46da99e37dc2 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luiz Galeffi (luizgaleffi@gmail.com) on 2017-09-01T14:39:51Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 tognolo_act_me_araiq.pdf: 2257425 bytes, checksum: 23469d70943bc2e64ecd46da99e37dc2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-09-01T14:39:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tognolo_act_me_araiq.pdf: 2257425 bytes, checksum: 23469d70943bc2e64ecd46da99e37dc2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-08-07 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O câncer é uma das doenças mais desafiadoras e não solucionadas até hoje na medicina moderna. Apesar das terapias padrões como radioterapia, quimioterapia, cirurgia ou combinações desses tratamentos serem efetivos, esses procedimentos apresentam diversos efeitos colaterais. Portanto, há uma vasta investigação por tratamentos alternativos a fim de diminuir os efeitos colaterais dessas terapias. Nanopartículas magnéticas de óxido de ferro (NP) modificadas com polímeros termossensíveis, vêm sendo desenvolvidas como um sistema de liberação controlada de fármaco e hipertermia magnética. Na presença de um campo magnético alternado externo (AC), esses sistemas são aquecidos induzindo a transição do polímero e, consequentemente, liberando o fármaco. Sendo assim, a proposta deste trabalho foi o desenvolvimento de um nanosistema terapêutico multifuncional. Nanopartículas superparamagnéticas de óxido de ferro foram sintetizadas, funcionalizadas com o alcoxisilano 3-mercaptopropil – trimetoxisilano (MPTS) e modificadas com o copolímero termossensível Poli(N-isopropilacrilamida-co-dimetilacrilamida), P(NIPAAm-co-DMAAm), para encapsulamento e liberação controlada do fármaco quimioterápico metotrexato e no tratamento por hipertermia magnética. A funcionalização com o MPTS foi confirmada por espectroscopia na região do infravermelho (FT-IR) e pela análise termogravimétrica (TGA). A copolimerização na superfície das nanopartículas foi confirmada pelas técnicas de FT-IR, medidas de potencial zeta, TGA e pela medida do diâmetro hidrodinâmico em função da temperatura. Determinou-se a baixa temperatura crítica de solução (LCST) do copolímero sintetizado, através da espectroscopia no UV-vis em função da temperatura. O valor de LCST determinado foi de 40,5 ºC e está dentro do esperado para aplicações biomédicas. Pela microscopia eletrônica de transmissão (MET), observou-se que as nanopartículas magnéticas apresentaram forma esférica e estreita distribuição de tamanho mesmo após serem modificadas com o copolímero. Os resultados obtidos na magnetermia, mostraram que as amostras aquecem quando são submetidas a um campo magnético externo, atingindo temperaturas esperadas para a hipertermia. E por fim, o encapsulamento e a liberação do metotrexato foram realizados com êxito, sendo que a liberação do fármaco acima da LCST do copolímero, apresentou melhor resultado quando comparado com a liberação abaixo dessa temperatura. / Nowadays, cancer is one of the biggest challenges in medicine. Besides the standards treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery been affect, those procedures have several sides effects. In order to reduce the sides effects, there is extensive research for alternative treatments. Iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (NP) modified with thermosensitive polymers, has been developed as a simultaneous system, for drug delivery and for magnetic hyperthermia. In the presence of an alternating magnetic field (AC), this system will be heated, inducing a phase transition of the thermoresponsive polymer and them, consequently releasing the drug inside the tumor cells. Therefore, the proposed of this work is the development of a therapeutic multifunctional nanosystem. Iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized, functionalized with the alkoxysilane 3- mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane (MPTS) and modified with the thermoresponsive copolymer P(NIPAAm-co-DMAAm), for the encapsulation and controlled release of the methotrexate (MTX) and for the magnetic hyperthermia. The surface modification of nanoparticles was monitored by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). TEM images showed nanoparticles with average size of 10 nm. The hydrodynamic diameter of the nanosystem as a function of the temperature was measured by dynamic light scattering and the hydrodynamic diameter for the P(NIPAAm-coDMAAm) surface modified nanoparticles, changes near 40 °C. Under an alternative AC, the nanosystem showed a high performance for hyperthermia treatment. Drug loading and release rate of methotrexate at different temperatures showed ideal behaviour for its application as drug delivery system.

In this doctoral thesis we describe a series of stimuli-responsive polymers which could be used as diagnostic tools or as smart drug delivery systems with simultaneous diagnosis (theranostics). All hereby mentioned polymers are thermoresponsive copolymers of (N-2,2-difluoroethyl)acrylamide exhibiting lower critical solution temperature in aqueous milieu. This means that they are water-soluble at low temperature while when heated above a certain temperature, they self-assemble into nano- or macro- sized assemblies. Because of the high concentration of fluorine atoms, all these polymers could be used as 19 F MRI tracers. We designed multiple different thermoresponsive, thermo- and pH-responsive, thermo-and reactive-oxygen-species-responsive polymers that could find numerous discussed applications in human medicine. We investigated their physico-chemical properties with 1 H and 19 F nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), size exclusion chromatography (SEC), elemental analysis, dynamic light scattering (DLS), static light scattering (SLS), small angle neutron scattering (SANS), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and turbidimetry. After the physicochemical optimization of the parameters for the selected applications, their biocompatibility was tested in vitro. Several promising polymers were tested in vivo...