Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐N‐isopropylmethacrylamide) (poly(NIPAAm‐co‐NIPMAAm)) is synthesized as an attractive thermo‐responsive copolymer by an original procedure. Due to the similar structure of the two co‐monomers, the poly(NIPAAm‐co‐NIPMAAm) copolymer displays a very sharp phase transition, under physiological conditions (phosphate buffer solution at pH = 7.4). The copolymer, showing the 51/49 co‐monomer NIPAAm/NIPMAAm molar ratio, displays a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) close to that of the human body temperature (36.8 °C). The poly(NIPAAm‐co‐NIPMAAm) microgels obtained at the 51:49 co‐monomer ratio displays a volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) slightly smaller than LCST. The deswelling rate of the microgels is very high (k = 0.019 s−1), the shrinkage occurring almost instantaneously, whereas the swelling rate is slightly lower (k = 0.0077 s−1). The microgels are loaded with the model drug dexamethasone and the drug release is investigated at different temperatures, below and above the VPTT. Under thermal cycling operation between 32 and 38 °C, the pulsatile release of dexamethasone is observed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.