Towards the Synthesis of Crosslinked Polyacrylates Utilizing FAMEs

Research in the development of advanced drug delivery systems within the pharmaceutical industry has become increasingly prevalent due to the many advantages. The usual parenteral and oral administration of drugs to patients in the treatment of diseases such as cancer decreases the effectiveness of the pharmaceuticals, due to degradation and diffusion of the drugs before reaching the intended target. Polymer-based nanoparticles are drug delivery systems capable of increasing the therapeutic effectiveness of the pharmaceuticals by encapsulating the drugs and transporting them to the intended biological targets while preventing its degradation. Diminishing fossil resources and increased awareness towards green chemistry has led to an increase in the demand of eco-friendly alternatives and biodegradable materials including polyacrylates to accomplish the aforementioned goals. Our research in synthesizing polyacrylate nanoparticles utilizes single chained Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAMEs), which are synthesized through the transesterification of castor oil. The FAMEs are then functionalized utilizing various compounds such as acrylates and poly ethylene glycols (PEGs) to create amphiphilic monomers. The side chain hydroxyl group of the castor oil FAME was then acrylated in the presence of acryloyl chloride producing an acrylated FAME, which displays vinyl-alkene resonances (5.761-6.114 ppm) in the 1H NMR spectrum. The vinyl olefins were cross-linked under UV light using 2,2-Dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone as a photoinitiator in the presence of N-Vinyl-2-Pyrolydone. Currently, we are investigating if an amphiphilic FAME monomer containing a terminal PEG and an acrylate can be synthesized and self-assemble into an eventual biodegradable polymeric drug delivery vessel