Investigation on Temperature-Sensitive Poly (N-Vinylcaprolactam) Modified Calcium Alginate Microspheres

Temperature-sensitive calcium alginate-based microspheres were prepared in two steps. Firstly, free-radical polymerization of temperature-sensitive N-vinylcaprolactam monomer was performed in aqueous solution of sodium alginate, yielding a mixed aqueous solution bearing temperature-sensitivity composed of poly(N-vinylcaprolactam), sodium alginate-graft- poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) and sodium alginate. Then temperature-sensitive composite microspheres were prepared by inverse emulsification-crosslinking using the as-prepared solution as water phase, n-hexane as oil phase, Span-85 and Tween-85 as emulsifiers and calcium chloride as crosslinker respectively. The morphology and temperature-sensitivity of the composite microspheres were investigated by scanning electron microscope and turbidity method respectively. The controlled release behavior of the microspheres towards temperature was investigated preliminarily using berberine as a model drug.