Preparation of thermo‐responsive polymer membranes. I

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Abstract
Two types of liquid crystal (LC)‐entrapped membranes, (a) polymer alloyed membranes and (b) LC‐adsorbed membranes, were investigated for the purpose of developing the drug delivery systems (DDS) with thermal stimuli responsing. Polymer alloyed membranes were obtained by polymerizing acrylic monomers in presence of LC and LC‐adsorbed membrane were obtained by adsorbing LC into porous hydrophobic polymer membrane. It was made clear from the indomethacin permeation experiments below and above the gel‐liquid crystal phase transition temperature of the LC that the extent of thermo‐sensitivity for LC‐adsorbed membranes was greater than that for the alloyed membrane. The permeability ratio (38°C vs. 32°C) was found to be about 120 with the LC‐adsorbed membrane. It was suggested from the results that the LC‐adsorbed membrane was one of the useful candidates as a thermo‐responsive system for DDS.