Nanoparticles highly loaded with gentamicin sulfate by a combination of polyhydroxylated macromonomers and ROMP for the synthesis of bioactive biomaterials

Antibiotic functionalized polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) are obtained by the copolymerization of macromonomers, which is a powerful way to synthesize bioactive biomaterial surfaces able to fight a bacterial strain in the case of infection. The active molecule loading can be modulated/increased by the use of highly charged macromonomers (typically polyhydroxylated macromonomers). This paper presents the synthesis of α-norbornenyl hydroxylated macromonomers (polyglycidol and poly(ethylene oxide)-block-polyglycidol) functionalized with an antibiotic: gentamicin sulfate. Then, these macromonomers are copolymerized with norbornene (Nb) by ring-opening metathesis polymerization in a dispersion to form core–shell NPs which have application as antibiotic platforms for the synthesis of bioactive biomaterial surfaces.