Anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) loading performance of functionalized polyaniline (PANI) surface with active carbon

The study was based on surface functionalization of conductive PANI (polyaniline) polymer for drug delivery systems. Specifically, an electrochemical polymerization technique was performed for the synthesis of PANI layers on tin-doped indium oxide (In2O3:Sn or ITO)-coated PET (polyethylene terephthalate) substrates. Three main factors were studied: binding ability, drug-loading ability and drug-delivering ability. PANI layers, combined with active carbon (AC), were organized as biomaterials to carry the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX). Two different films, PANI and PANI with AC, were polymerized in the emeraldine salt form of PANI. A comparison of the two samples proved that AC molecules enabled DOX molecules to bind to the PANI surface, as observed by the UV–Vis absorption spectra of the films. DOX molecules were detected by UV–Vis spectra with an absorption peak at 547 nm. Findings from drug loading/release tests and in vitro cytotoxicity results confirm that these films can be used as drug delivery systems. This work underlines essential role of AC in the PANI layer for drug delivery. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.