Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Physically triggered drug release is an emerging field focused on developing materials capable of modulating release kinetics in response to external stimuli. In this work, we present a strategy for the fabrication and evaluation of heat-mediated drug release from electrospun fibers composed of a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and poly (methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic acid) (PMA-MVE) blend, encapsulating vitamin B12 (B12-NFs) as a model. Following thermal treatments at 90, 120, and 180 °C, results from SEM, TGA, DSC, and FTIR confirmed that increasing the crosslinking temperature promoted the formation of a more hydrophobic matrix (contact angle > 150°), which effectively reduced spontaneous drug leakage. As a proof-of-concept, we evaluated the sensitivity of the elaborated B12 to heating in aqueous media using UV-Vis spectrometry. The results indicate that the release kinetics followed a sigmoidal profile governed by the dissolution Gompertz model. This laboratory-scale evaluation establishes the fundamental mechanisms for magnetically triggered platforms based on polymeric blends, providing a robust framework for the design of remotely activated, non-invasive drug delivery platforms.
Source: Applied Sciences
DOI: 10.3390/app16041997
Language: English
Subfield: Biomaterials
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,896
Funder: Universidad de Zaragoza
OpenAlex ID: W7129286871