The role of gold on N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) for drug delivery: A density functional theory study
Abstract
Binding of gold (Au) with N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) was investigated using density functional theory (DFT). Geometrical structures were optimized using Gaussian09 with B3LYP/LANL2DZ level of calculation. Significant structural changes on NIPAM in terms of bond lengths, bond angles and dihedral angles were observed upon complexation with Au due to the redistribution of charges as shown by the detailed population analysis. These structural changes could affect the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of NIPAM. This study provides significant findings for the implementation of NIPAM-Au for drug delivery.