Thesis (M.Sc.)--Chulalongkorn University, 2008

Negatively charged polymers, poly(vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl butane sultone) and poly(vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl dodecane-co-vinyl butane sultone), and positively charged polymers, poly(vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl diethylamino butanate) and poly(vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl diethylamino butane), were synthesized by grafting poly(vinyl alcohol) with 1,4-butane sultone and dodecyl moieties or diethylamino butane and dodecyl moieties through appropriate substation reaction. Polymer with various sultane, dodecyl, diethylamino butane substation degree were prepared. The negatively charged polymers were able to self-assemble into particles upon changing solvent from dimethyl sulfoxide to water. It was found that the degree of substitution of sultone groups and dodecyl moieties on PVA vackvone affected the particle size. The size of poly(vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl butane sultone) particles increased as the sultone substitution increased while that of poly (vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl dodecane-co-vinykl butane sultone) particles decreased as the sultone substitution increased. In contrast, none of the positively charged polymers obtained could self-assemble into any specific architecture. Encapsulate 2-ethylhexyl p-methoxycinnamate (EHMC) into the prepared particles were demonstrated and theie release profiles were investigated.