Temperature-responsive aerogels from hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)-grafted N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) were developed for the first time as a novel drug delivery system. The morphology and structure of temperature-responsive HPMC-NIPAM aerogels were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analyses. Water-soluble 5-fluorouracil was used as a model drug to study drug loading and release. Drug release experiments demonstrated a sustained and controlled release behavior of the HPMC-NIPAM aerogels that were highly dependent on temperature. Meanwhile, the first-order kinetic model, Higuchi model, and Korsmyer–Peppas model were used to fit the sustained-release curve of drug-loaded aerogel revealing a sustained-release mechanism.

由羟丙基甲基纤维素（HPMC）接枝的N-异丙基丙烯酰胺（NIPAM）制成的温度响应型气凝胶首次被开发为新型药物输送系统。通过扫描电子显微镜，傅立叶变换红外光谱，X射线衍射和X射线光电子能谱分析对温度响应型HPMC-NIPAM气凝胶的形态和结构进行了表征。水溶性5-氟尿嘧啶被用作模型药物来研究药物的负载和释放。药物释放实验表明，HPMC-NIPAM气凝胶的持续和控制释放行为高度依赖于温度。同时，使用一级动力学模型，Higuchi模型和Korsmyer-Peppas模型拟合载药气凝胶的缓释曲线，揭示了缓释机制。