Preparation and characterization of dendrimer-modified graphene oxide nanoparticles for loading and releasing of doxorubicin

Abstract

Doxorubicin is an anticancer drug known for a variety of cancers. As a targeted drug, it is loaded onto branched graphene oxide nanoparticles (GONPs). In this research, polymeric coatings containing vinyl alcohol bonded of the fifth generation of dendrimers containing methyl methacrylate (MMA) and ethylenediamine (EDA) groups act as a responsive polymer.

The precursors are polymerized to form the dendrimer coating as the last carrier on the graphene oxide surface. Then polyvinyl alcohol (pH-sensitive polymer) coating is used on the surface of branched graphene oxide. When the nanoparticles carry the drug, they are not recognized by the immune system. The amount of drug release is increased. The average size of the final product is 30 nm. It is characterized by FTIR, TGA, XRD, and SEM-EDX to investigate different adsorption properties. Some of the physical parameters of the adsorption process, such as pH, time, and temperature for doxorubicin are investigated using the final adsorbent. The drug release by the adsorbent coated with pH-sensitive polymer is more than when the polymer coating was not applied on the nanoparticle. Drug release tests showed pH sensitivity behavior of graphene oxide/dendrimer/polyvinyl alcohol (GO/dendrimer/PVA), with %99.7 drug release at acidic (pH = 5.6) and %59 at neutral (pH = 7.4) conditions, that's means in the pH of a tumorous cell and the blood pH level, respectively.

Keywords:

• Drug delivery
• graphene oxide
• pH-sensitive polymer
• dendrimer nanoparticles
• doxorubicin

Funding

Not applicable.