N-isopropylacrylamide-based fine-dispersed thermosensitive ferrogels obtained via in-situ technique

Thermosensitive hydrogels with magnetic properties (ferrogels) are very promising for medical application, first of all, for the design of targeted delivery systems with controlled release of drugs and for magnetic hyperthermia and chemotherapy treatment of cancer. These magnetic hydrogels could be obtained using diverse techniques: ex- and in-situ syntheses. The present work is devoted to the study of magnetite (Fe3O4) formation inside the nanoreactors of (co)polymeric hydrogels. Polymeric templates (hydrogel films and fine-dispersed hydrogels) used for obtaining ferrogels were based on acrylic monomers: thermosensitive N-isopropylacrylamide, and hydrophilic acrylamide. Covalent cross-linking was accomplished using bifunctional monomer N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide. Influence of hydrophilic–lipophilic balance of polymeric templates and concentration of iron cations on the magnetite formation were investigated along with the development of ferrogel preparation technique. Cytotoxicity, physical and chemical properties of obtained magnetic hydrogels have been studied in this work.

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► Thermosensitive magnetic hydrogels for biomedical application have been obtained.
► Magnetite was synthesized inside of the (co)polymeric hydrogel nanoreactors.
► The influence of diverse factors on the formation of magnetite was investigated.
► Fine-dispersed (ferro)gels with a grain size of 0.05–0.04 mm were obtained.
► Non-cytotoxicity of ferrogels with Fe3O4 content up to 30–50% has been shown.