Loading and release of internally self-assembled emulsions embedded in a magnetic hydrogel

We have investigated drug loading and release from thermosensitive gel emulsions with external triggering by an alternating magnetic field (AMF) for on-demand drug delivery. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles dispersed in gel emulsions were used to study the loading and release capabilities, with the stable nitroxide radical 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy ( TEMPO) serving as the model drug. AMF activation gave similar results to temperature activation in a water bath at 37 degrees C, showing that the principal effect of the AMF is a temperature increase without burst release. These results suggest that the system could play an important role in the development of advanced drug delivery. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.