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Review
. 2022 Mar 23;23(7):3496.
doi: 10.3390/ijms23073496.

The Potential of Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Films as Drug Delivery Materials

Joanna Potaś  1 , Katarzyna Winnicka  1
Affiliations
Review

The Potential of Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Films as Drug Delivery Materials

Joanna Potaś et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) represent a group of polyelectrolyte complex (PEC)-based materials widely investigated in the biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences. Despite the unflagging popularity of the aforementioned systems in tissue engineering, only a few updated scientific reports concerning PEM potential in drug administration can be found. In fact, PEM coatings are currently recognized as important tools for functionalizing implantable scaffolds; however, only a small amount of attention has been given to PEMs as drug delivery materials. Scientific reports on PEMs reveal two dominant reasons for the limited usability of multilayers in pharmaceutical technology: complex and expensive preparation techniques as well as high sensitivity of interacting polyelectrolytes to the varieties of internal and external factors. The aim of this work was to analyze the latest approaches, concerning the potential of PEMs in pharmacy, chemical technology, and (primarily) tissue engineering, with special attention given to possible polymer combinations, technological parameters, and physicochemical characteristics, such as hydrophilicity, adhesive and swelling properties, and internal/external structures of the systems formed. Careful recognition of the above factors is crucial in the development of PEM-based drug delivery materials.

Keywords: drug delivery material; multifunctional polymeric material; polyelectrolyte complex; polyelectrolyte multilayer film.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The applicability of polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) in the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Site- and polymer-dominated diffusion mechanisms of PEM formation.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Factors which should be taken into consideration in PEMs designing as potential drug delivery materials.
Figure 4
Figure 4
PEMs composed of cationic Eudragit E® and anionic hypromellose acetate succinate (HPMCAS) as coatings for colon specific tablets.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The possible utilization of PEMs in tissue engineering.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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