Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-7-2026
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Chemistry and Biochemistry
First Advisor
Eden Tanner
Second Advisor
Susan Pedigo
Third Advisor
Nathan Hammer
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
Polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) are at the forefront of drug delivery due to their diverse physical properties, allowing for precise customization to achieve specific functionality. When NPs are combined with ionic liquids (ILs), their efficacy has been shown to improve. ILs are salts composed of bulky asymmetric cations and anions, which result in low melting points due to their inability to pack into ordered crystal structures. Studies have demonstrated that various ILs can be integrated onto the surface of NPs formed by di-block co-polymers. Despite their potential, the fundamental forces, such as hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions), driving the physiochemical behaviors of IL-polymer NP assembly remain poorly understood. To address this, Nuclear Magnetic Spectroscopy (NMR) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) can be used to investigate the interactions between different ILs and NPs. Additionally, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) can offer insights into the progression of IL-NP assembly and degradation. It was found that the different ILs played varying factors in the NP’s physical, kinetic, and thermodynamic characteristics. These combined techniques will contribute to a deeper understanding of the driving forces behind IL-NP assembly and provide knowledge to further manipulate IL-NP interaction for targeted drug delivery.
Recommended Citation
Ontiveros, Amber I., "Physical Characterization of Ionic Liquid Assembly on Diblock Copolymeric Nanoparticles" (2026). Honors Theses. 3382.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3382
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