Indocyanine green-laden poly(ethylene glycol)-block-polylactide (PEG-b-PLA) nanocapsules incorporating reverse micelles: Effects of PEG-b-PLA composition on the nanocapsule diameter and encapsulation efficiency

Takaichi Watanabe, Yui Sakamoto, Tetsuya Inooka, Yukitaka Kimura, Tsutomu Ono

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Reverse micelles are thermodynamically stable systems, with a capacity to encapsulate hydrophilic molecules in their nanosized core, which is smaller than the core generally obtained with water-in-oil-emulsion droplets. Herein, we present a simple technique for the preparation of poly(ethylene glycol)-block-polylactide (PEG-b-PLA) nanocapsules encapsulating a hydrophilic photosensitizer (indocyanine green, ICG), which exploits reverse micelle formation and subsequent emulsion-solvent diffusion. We establish the effect of the PEG-b-PLA composition and the co-surfactant volume on the diameter and water content of the reverse micelles. We demonstrate that the composition of PEG-b-PLA affects also the diameter and encapsulation efficiency of the resulting nanocapsules. We show that the ICG-laden nanocapsules fabricated under the most optimal conditions have a diameter of approximately 100 nm and an ICG encapsulation efficiency of 58%. We believe that the method proposed here is a promising step towards the preparation of hydrophilic drug-laden polymer nanocapsules with a small diameter and therefore suitable for use in drug delivery applications based on enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect-driven passive targeting.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)764-770
Number of pages7
JournalColloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects
Volume520
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 5 2017

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Surfaces and Interfaces
  • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
  • Colloid and Surface Chemistry

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