Thermally induced core-shell type hydrogel beads having interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) structure

Monodisperse hydrogel beads composed of calcium alginate and crosslinked polyNIPAAm (N-isopropylacrylamide) were synthesized based on a simultaneous interpenetrating network process. With increasing the temperature above the phase transition temperature of polyNIPAAm, a core-shell type of hydrogel beads was developed; polyNIPAAm-enriched core region and Ca-alginate-enriched outer shell layer were observed. The thermally reversible formation of the core-shell double structure in the IPN hydrogel beads was applied for the temperature modulated drug release using indomethacin as a model drug.