Poly(N‐vinylcaprolactam): A Thermoresponsive Macromolecule with Promising Future in Biomedical Field

Abstract

Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PNVCL) is a thermoresponsive and biocompatible polymer that raises an increasing interest in the biomedical area, especially in drug delivery systems (DDS) that include micelles, hydrogels, and hybrid particles. The thermoresponsiveness of PNVCL, used alone or in combination with other stimuli- responsive polymers or particles (pH, magnetic field, or chemicals), is often key in the loading and/or release process in these DDS. The renewed focus on this polymer, which is known for decades, is to a large extent due to recent progress in synthetic strategies. Especially, the advent of efficient controlled radical polymerization (CRP) methods for NVCL monomer gives now access to unprecedented well-defined NVCL-based copolymers with unique properties. This Review article addresses up-to-date synthetic aspects, biological features, and biomedical applications of the latest NVCL-containing systems.

Degradable Controlled-Release Polymers and Polymeric Nanoparticles: Mechanisms of Controlling Drug Release

“…However, knowledge gained from the extensive numbers of investigations on polyNIPAAm is being applied to the development of alternative thermoresponsive materials. Poly( N -vinylcaprolactam) (polyNVCL) is considered a promising alternate thermoresponsive polymer, 363 since it possesses a LCST similar to that of polyNIPAAm. 364 …”

Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam), a comprehensive review on a thermoresponsive polymer becoming popular

“…Previously, two topical reviews regarding PNVCL were published: the first (chronologically) is devoted to compare PNVCL to PNIPAAm [1]; while the second (published during the revision process of the present review article) is dedicated to the biomedical applications of NVCL containing systems [2].…”

Effect of copolymer composition of RAFT/MADIX-derived N-vinylcaprolactam/N-vinylpyrrolidone statistical copolymers on their thermoresponsive behavior and hydrogel properties

“…8 Other polymers present LCST values close to the physiological temperature such as poly(methyl vinyl ether) (PMVE), 9 poly(N-acryloyl-N'-propyl piperazine) 10 and poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PVCL). [11][12][13][14] PVCL is a LCST polymer 20 derived from the inexpensive commercially available Nvinylcaprolactam (VCL) monomer. It exhibits a "classical" Flory-Huggins thermoresponsive phase behavior in water: the position of the critical point in a temperature vs. concentration phase diagram shifts to lower polymer 25 concentration as the molecular weight of the polymer increases and the critical concentration value tends to zero if the molar mass goes to infinity at Ɵ temperature.…”

“…8 In contrast to PNIPAm which forms intermolecular hydrogen bonds in the collapsed 40 state, PVCL advantageously shows no hysteresis phenomenon. 15,16 PVCL is also a well-known biocompatible polymer 14,[17][18][19] that does not produce toxic low molecular weight amine during hydrolysis. Its low cytotoxicity can therefore be used for pharmaceutical purposes.…”