James Leach
Using hydrogel for the timed release of drugs.
Email: j.c.leach2@ncl.ac.uk
Project title
Development of a smart hydrogel oscillator
Supervisors
Project description
Hydrogels have many applications in healthcare. This project will produce a hydrogel capable of oscillatory behaviour. Such a material will allow the pulsatile release of drugs at specific intervals over a long period of time.
In the oxidative carbonylation reaction, we will study:
- a polymeric catalyst: an imine-functionalised palladium-bearing chitosan polymer
- a substrate: poly (ethylene glycol) methyl ether acetylene
The reaction is a chemical oscillator. My investigation will determine regions of oscillatory pH behaviour.
We will then fabricate the gel. I will verify it in experiments, using optical techniques able to track rhythmic swelling.
Finally, we will study a pulsatile release of a model drug from the gel to validate the proposed concept.
The research will broaden the range of known chemical oscillators. It will increase our knowledge of oscillatory chemical reactions using polymeric catalysts and substrates.
The ground-breaking result is the fabrication of a rhythmic biomaterial that can act autonomously. This is of particular relevance to chronopharmacotherapy.
Interests
- Polymer chemistry
- Catalysis
- Oscillatory chemical reactions
- Organic Chemistry
Qualifications
Masters (MChem) in Chemistry, University of Central Lancashire (UCLan)