Radiation Synthesis of PEGDA and APO Nanosized Gels for Bioactive Immobilization

The use of microemulsions in the development of nanosized gels based on PEGDA and APO is demonstrated. PEGDA was solubilized in n-heptane using AOT at 0.15M concentration to form reverse micelles, while APO was solubilized with SDS in water to form direct micelles. Both of these systems were depicted by means of ternary phase diagrams. These micelles were then irradiated at 1 kGy, 3 kGy, 5 kGy, 10 kGy, 15 kGy and 30 kGy using γ irradiation or EB radiation to cross-link the entrapped polymer in the micelles. Ionizing radiation was imparted to the emulsions to generate cross-linking reactions in the micelles that were formed. The nanosized gel was evaluated in terms of particle diameter using DLS, and the images of the nanosized gel were studied using TEM. Results showed that the size, charge and shape of the particles were influenced by the concentration of surfactants and the radiation dose. The current study has shown that this method can be utilized to produce nanosized gels. (author)