Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36297943›Full record

ArticlePolymers2022

Microstructure-Thermal Property Relationships of Poly (Ethylene Glycol-

Khandokar Sadique Faisal, Andrew J Clulow, Stephanie V MacWilliams, Todd A Gillam, Ashlyn Austin, Marta Krasowska, Anton Blencowe

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Polymers, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 36% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Khandokar Sadique FaisalApplied Chemistry and Translational Biomaterials (ACTB) Group, Centre for Pharmaceutical Innovation (CPI), UniSA Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
Andrew J ClulowBioSAXS Beamline, Australian Synchrotron, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-2037-853X
Stephanie V MacWilliamsSurface Interactions and Soft Matter (SISM) Group, Future Industries Institute, UniSA STEM, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-5199-3311
Todd A GillamApplied Chemistry and Translational Biomaterials (ACTB) Group, Centre for Pharmaceutical Innovation (CPI), UniSA Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
Ashlyn AustinApplied Chemistry and Translational Biomaterials (ACTB) Group, Centre for Pharmaceutical Innovation (CPI), UniSA Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-2249-9952
Marta KrasowskaSurface Interactions and Soft Matter (SISM) Group, Future Industries Institute, UniSA STEM, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-0309-1772
Anton BlencoweApplied Chemistry and Translational Biomaterials (ACTB) Group, Centre for Pharmaceutical Innovation (CPI), UniSA Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-7630-4874
University of South Australia · AUAustralian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation · AU

Funding

Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation M15933
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The crystallinity of polymers strongly affects their properties. For block copolymers, whereby two crystallisable blocks are covalently tethered to one another, the molecular weight of the individual blocks and their relative weight fraction are important structural parameters that control their crystallisation. In the case of block copolymer micelles, these parameters can influence the crystallinity of the core, which has implications for drug encapsulation and release. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to determine how the microstructure of poly(ethylene glycol-b-caprolactone) (PEG-b-PCL) copolymers contributes to the crystallinity of their hydrophobic PCL micelle cores. Using a library of PEG-b-PCL copolymers with PEG number-average molecular weight (Mn) values of 2, 5, and 10 kDa and weight fractions of PCL (fPCL) ranging from 0.11 to 0.67, the thermal behaviour and morphology were studied in blends, bulk, and micelles using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WXRD), and Synchrotron wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS). Compared to PEG and PCL homopolymers, the block copolymers displayed reduced crystallinity in the bulk phase and the individual blocks had a large influence on the crystallisation of one another. The fPCL was determined to be the dominant contributor to the extent and order of crystallisation of the two blocks. When fPCL < 0.35, the initial crystallisation of PEG led to an amorphous PCL phase. At fPCL values between 0.35 and 0.65, PEG crystallisation was followed by PCL crystallisation, whereas this behaviour was reversed when fPCL > 0.65. For lyophilised PEG-b-PCL micelles, the crystallinity of the core increased with increasing fPCL, although the core was predominately amorphous for micelles with fPCL < 0.35. These findings contribute to understanding the relationships between copolymer microstructure and micelle core crystallinity that are important for the design and performance of micellar drug delivery systems, and the broader application of polymer micelles.

Indexed as

copolymercrystallinitymicellemicrostructurethermal behaviour

Identifiers

PMID36297943
PMCPMC9607102
OpenAlexW4306398812

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.