Design of a pH-sensitive magnetic composite hydrogel based on salecan graft copolymer and Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles as drug carrier

Salecan, a novel water-soluble extracellular β-glucan, is very suitable for the hydrogel preparation. Here, pH-sensitive magnetic composite hydrogel was fabricated by the graft copolymerization of crotonic acid (CA) and N-(hydroxymethyl) acrylamide (HMAA) onto salecan in the presence of Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles for doxorubicin (DOX) delivery. The embedment of Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles into salecan-g-poly(CA-co-HMAA) hydrogel network endowed the material with magnetic property. In addition, DOX not only achieved effectively bound to the composite hydrogel, but also released in a controlled and pH-dependent manner. The application of an external magnetic field could significantly enhance the drug release rate. More importantly, the released DOX preserved its bioavailability. Taken together, these hydrogel drug carriers provide a promising platform for magnetically targeted drug delivery.