A drug delivery system (DDS) was prepared with a temperature and pH-responsive hydrogel.
Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/poly(acrylic acid) (PAAc)/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)
(PNIPAAm)/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanocomposites were prepared by
radical polymerization for the temperature and pH-responsive hydrogels. MWCNTs were
employed to improve both the thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of the PVA/
PAAc/PNIPAAm/MWCNT nanocomposite hydrogels. Various amounts of MWCNTs (0,
0.5, 1 and 3 wt%) were added to the nanocomposite hydrogels. PVA/PAAc/PNIPAAm/MWCNT
nanocomposite hydrogels were characterized with a scanning electron microscope.
The mechanical properties were measured with a universal testing machine. Swelling and
releasing properties of nanocomposite hydrogels were investigated at various temperatures
and pHs. Temperature and pH-responsive release behavior was found to be dependent on the
content of MWCNTs in nanocomposite hydrogels.