Novel multi-responsive and sugarcane bagasse cellulose-based nanogels for controllable release of doxorubicin hydrochloride

Nanogel based on polysaccharides has attracted the tremendous interest due to its unique performance as drug carrier for in vivo release. In this work, the multi-responsive nanogels were developed based on the tailor-modified sugarcane bagasse cellulose (SBC). In the presence of crosslinking agent cystamine bisacrylamide (CBA), the in-situ free radical copolymerization of methacrylated monocarboxylic sugarcane bagasse cellulose (MAMC-SBC) and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) in aqueous phase was conducted, thus leading to redox, pH and thermal-responsive nanogels. The results obtained from FT-IR, SEM and particle sizer showed that the nanogels were highly stable with the desired particle size ranging from 90 to 180 nm and contained targeted polymeric segments and linkage for multi-responsivity. Doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) as a model drug was effectively loaded into the nanogels, partly driven by strong electrostatic association; and the loading efficiency reached up to 82.7%. Moreover, the drug release could be readily manipulated by the addition of reducing agent, pH and temperature, which is attributed to the multi-responsive behavior of nanogels as carrier and synergetic effects. The performance of nanogels was also governed by the ratio of reactive MAMC-SBC and NIPAM during polymerization; and the ratio at 1:1(wt) led to the optimal structure of nanogels.