Abstract
Biopolymers are particularly suitable for drug applications due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low immunogenicity. There has been growing interest in using biopolymers to achieve the controlled release of therapeutics. However, the solubility and processability of biopolymers remain challenging due to their structural heterogeneity and dense networks of inter- and intramolecular interactions. Fortunately, ionic liquids (ILs), regarded as green solvents, have been increasingly appreciated for their unparalleled power for biopolymer processing. By the dissolution of biopolymers in ILs, various materials including sponges, films, microparticles (MPs), nanoparticles (NPs), and aerogels can be generated as potential drug delivery carriers. Besides, ILs can be used as reaction media and/or catalysts for biopolymer chemical reactions, which show enhanced reaction efficiencies. In addition, because of their unique physicochemical (e.g., polarity, hydrophobicity, amphipathicity and miscibility) and biological properties (e.g., antibacterial activity), ILs can assist or participate in the formation of drug delivery carriers. To cover all these aspects of the research, this review provides an overview of the recent progress in using ILs for the engineering of next-generation drug/gene delivery carrier materials. The tunable properties of ILs as affected by their structures are highlighted. Also, the key principles, challenges and prospects of this area are presented.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 4169-4200 |
| Number of pages | 32 |
| Journal | Green Chemistry |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue number | 18 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 7 Aug 2018 |
Funding
Dr Xiaoxi Li is now a full pro- fessor in the School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, where he also serves as a School Manager. He is also responsible for the Ministry of Education Engineering Research Center of Starch and Protein Processing and the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Green Processing of Natural Products and Product Safety. He received his PhD in Sugar Engineering from the South China University of Technology in 2004. From 2013 to 2014, he worked as a visiting scholar at the Whistler Carbohydrate Research Center, Purdue University (USA). His current research involves the chemistry and physics of carbo-hydrate polymers and the construction of smart controlled-release delivery systems and target-specific delivery systems for genes, drugs, and bioactive ingredients. He has led multiple research grants funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and Guangdong Provincial Government. Dr Ling Chen is now a full pro- fessor in the School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology (SCUT). She also serves as a Deputy Director of the Ministry of Education Engineering Research Center of Starch and Protein Processing, the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Green Processing of Natural Products and Product Safety, and the Ministry of Education Research Institute of Light Chemical Industry. She has led many research projects in the field of the starch supramolecular structure, starch modification and starch-based drug delivery systems funded by multiple funding agencies including the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Guangdong Provincial Government, and Guangzhou Municipal Government. She has received many awards recognizing her contribution to the field, such as the Ministry of Education Science and Technology Progress Award. Her current research interests include starch modification and functionalization, the modulation of blood glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, protein metabolism by starch on the gene level, starch-based controlled-release delivery systems for drugs and bioactive ingredients, and novel solvents such as ionic liquids for starch processing and modification. This article has been financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)–Guangdong Joint Foundation Key Project (U1501214), the Key Project of Guangzhou Science and Technology Program (No. 201804020036), YangFan Innovative and Entrepreneurial Research Team Project (2014YT02S029), and the R&D Projects of Guangdong Province (2014B090904047). F. Xie acknowledges the European Union’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) and the Institute of Advanced Study (IAS), University of Warwick, for the Warwick Interdisciplinary Research Leadership Programme (WIRL-COFUND).
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| European Union’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions | |
| Guangzhou Municipal Government | |
| Institute of Advanced Study | |
| R&D Projects of Guangdong Province | 2014B090904047 |
| YangFan Innovative and Entrepreneurial Research Team Project | 2014YT02S029 |
| Horizon 2020 Framework Programme | 713548 |
| H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions | |
| University of Warwick | |
| National Natural Science Foundation of China | U1501214 |
| Government of Guangdong Province | |
| Guangzhou Science and Technology Program key projects | 201804020036 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Chemistry
- Pollution