Water-soluble stabilized self-assembled polyelectrolytes
AssigneeLabopharm, Inc.
InventorsMaxime Ranger, Jean-Christophe Leroux
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Abstract
The present invention is directed toward water-soluble supramolecular self-assemblies and a process for their preparation via micellization of polyelectrolytes through the use of hydrophobic monomeric units. In this invention the polyelectrolyte segment ultimately forms the core of the supramolecular assembly whereas the shell consists of uncharged hydrophilic polymers or oligomers. It has been determined that the inclusion of the hydrophobic co-monomers to the polyelectrolyte segment forming the micelle core leads to a structure of enhanced stability.
Claims11
Multimolecular micelles consisting essentially of polyelectrolyte copolymers including at least one hydrophobic block and at least one hydrophilic block wherein:
- 1) said at least one hydrophobic block comprises ionizable and/or charged repeating monomers in combination with nonionic hydrophobic repeating monomers;
- wherein the ionizable and/or charged repeating monomers include at least one compound selected from the group consisting of alkylacrylic acid derivatives, acrylic acid derivatives, aminoalkylacrylate derivatives, and (amino alkyl) alkylacrylate derivatives, and wherein the non-ionic hydrophobic repeating monomers include one or more hydrophobic vinyl compounds;
- and
- 2) said at least one hydrophilic block, comprises a nonionic hydrophilic polymer or oligomer that is polyethylene glycol or that is synthesized from hydrophilic vinyl monomers;
- and
- wherein said hydrophobic block comprising ionizable and/or charged repeating monomers in combination with the nonionic hydrophobic repeating monomers forms a micellar core and said hydrophilic block forms the exterior of the micelle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.