Encapsulation of Perovskite Nanocrystals into Organic Polymer for Improved Stability

To enhance the stability of perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) is very crucial to their applications in optoelectronics. The polymeric encapsulation has been one of the most developed treatments to improve the...

Polymeric Encapsulation of a Ru(II)-based Photosensitizer for Folate Targeted Photodynamic Therapy of Drug Resistant Cancers

<p>The currently used photodynamic therapy (PDT) photosensitizers (PSs) are generally associated with a poor cancer cell selectivity, which is responsible for some undesirable side effects. To overcome these problems, the use of selective drug delivery systems is currently envisioned. In this article, the encapsulation of a promising Ru(II) polypyridine complex-based PDT PS in a polymer with terminal folate groups to form nanoparticles is presented. While showing a high selectivity for cancerous cells over non-cancerous cells, the nanoparticles were found to be highly phototoxic in 2D monolayer cells as well as 3D multicellular tumor spheroids upon 480 nm or 595 nm irradiation. Promisingly, the nanoparticles were also active in drug resistant cancer cells lines, indicating that they are able to overcome drug resistances. <br></p>

Polymeric Encapsulation of a Ru(II)-based Photosensitizer for Folate Targeted Photodynamic Therapy of Drug Resistant Cancers

<p>The currently used photodynamic therapy (PDT) photosensitizers (PSs) are generally associated with a poor cancer cell selectivity, which is responsible for some undesirable side effects. To overcome these problems, the use of selective drug delivery systems is currently envisioned. In this article, the encapsulation of a promising Ru(II) polypyridine complex-based PDT PS in a polymer with terminal folate groups to form nanoparticles is presented. While showing a high selectivity for cancerous cells over non-cancerous cells, the nanoparticles were found to be highly phototoxic in 2D monolayer cells as well as 3D multicellular tumor spheroids upon 480 nm or 595 nm irradiation. Promisingly, the nanoparticles were also active in drug resistant cancer cells lines, indicating that they are able to overcome drug resistances. <br></p>

Antimicrobial Activity of the Sodium Lauryl Sulphate Used as Surfactant in the Polymeric Encapsulation Processes

Miniemulsion polymerization process is a very versatile technique used for the polymeric encapsulation of the many essential oils. In this process some surfactant compounds are used to define the capsules characteristics, as an example the Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) that is one of the most used surfactants. But, after the miniemulsion polymerization synthesis the residual amount of SLS can manifest an antimicrobial action that can improve or to prejudice the final properties of the encapsulated products, depending of its percentual concentrations. In this sense, the objective of this work was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of polycaprolactone (PCL) capsules synthesized with different residual concentrations of the SLS surfactant after the miniemulsion polymerization processes. The antimicrobial evaluations demonstrated from solid media diffusion test that the PCL microcapsules are microbiologically inactive for the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli when are synthetized with residual concentrations of SLS below 0.0125%. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of residual SLS for the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus is 0.0146% and for the bacteria Escherichia coli the complete bacterial inhibition not was detected at the maximum residual concentration studied of 0.1167%.