In this study, a series of amphiphilic phospholipid structure-mimetic AB2 miktoarm copolymers consisting of hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and biodegradable poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) were synthesized and compared with typical linear di-block copolymers in terms of self-assembling and drug carrier properties. All the synthesized polymers were characterized by 1H NMR, FTIR, GPC and DLS measurements to confirm their chemical structures and found to self-assemble in aqueous media to form spherical micelle structures with about 40~70 nm in diameter. A poorly soluble drug, paclitaxel, as a model drug was loaded into polymer micelles by a solid dispersion method and the drug loading efficiency and content was significantly dependent on the loading conditions and the polymer structures. In particular, the miktoarm polymers demonstrated better drug-loading capacity and colloidal stability than the corresponding di-block copolymers, increasing their potential for drug delivery applications.

본 연구에서는 친수성 poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG)와 생분해성 poly(trimethylene carbonate)(PTMC)로 구성된 양친매성 생체인지질 모방 구조인 AB2형 믹토암 공중합체를 합성하여, 선형 PEG-PTMC 이중블록 공중합체와의 자기조립 및 약물전달체로서의 특성을 비교하였다. 1H NMR, FTIR, GPC, DSC 분석 등을 통하여 화학적 조성과 구조를 확인하였고, 수용액 내에서 자기조립을 통해 약 40~70 nm의 구형 미셀 구조를 이루는 것을 확인하였다. 고체분산법에 의한 난용성 항암제인 paclitaxel의 봉입 실험 결과, 고분자의 구조특성과 봉입조건에 따라 봉입효율과 봉입량이 크게 달라짐을 확인하였다. 특히 믹토암 구조 고분자가 선형 이중블록 공중합체와 비교하여, 상대적으로 높은 약물 담지능과 재분산성을 보임으로써 약물전달체로서의 특성이 우수함을 확인하였다.

Keywords: miktoarm copolymer; poly(ethylene glycol); poly(trimethylene carbonate); polymeric micelle; drug delivery