Controlling curcumin/acrylic polymer interactions for tailored delivery systems

[Display omitted] •Salt leaching porous three-dimensional structures with varied dimensions.•Blended polymers (methyl, ethyl, and nbutyl groups) and biomolecule (curcumin).•Acrylate polymers/curcumin interaction quantitative experiment.•Buffer media and molecular relaxation temperature effects.•Release experiment probed via photoluminescence of curcumin. In this work, we investigate the interaction between curcumin and biocompatible polymethacrylates (methyl, ethyl, and n-butyl side groups). Blend samples were produced using the salt leaching technique to increase the contact area in the ionic medium with pH 2.0, 5.0, 7.4, and 8.0. Using curcumin photoluminescence (PL) spectra to determine release profiles, we found a 6-fold higher quantity and a 3-fold higher release ratio for poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (PnBMA). Changes in the ionic form of curcumin were observed with PL blue shift and decrease in the characteristic time, from ca. 435 min at pH 2.0 and 5.0 to 192 min at pH 7.4 for PnBMA. The relative importance of curcumin interactions with the side and main polymer chains could be determined by interpreting the release profiles. With curcumin interaction controlled by pH and the length of the polymer side chain, one may envisage tailored drug delivery systems focusing on prolonged release.