# Emulsified Homo (Ciprofloxacin) Polymer Nanoparticles for Antibacterial Applications

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new method to create antibiotic-loaded nanoparticles that are stable and non-toxic to human cells.

## Contribution

The first method to synthesize polyacrylate nanoparticles using only N-acryloylciprofloxacin monomer for emulsion polymerization.

## Key findings

- Nanoparticles had an average size of 970 nm and high stability with a surface charge of −63 mV.
- The emulsions showed antibacterial activity equal to ciprofloxacin against S. aureus and E. coli.
- The nanoparticles exhibited no cytotoxicity against human colorectal and kidney cells.

## Abstract

We report for the first time a method for forming polyacrylate nanoparticles using N-acryloylciprofloxacin as a sole monomer for emulsion polymerization. The procedure involves a free radical-induced emulsion polymerization of N-acryloylciprofloxacin monomer to produce a stable aqueous emulsion comprising uniformly sized polyacrylate nanoparticles. Dynamic light scattering analysis of the emulsions showed a single population of nanoparticles having an average diameter of 970 nm and average surface charge of −63 mV, indicative of the high stability of the emulsion and significantly enhance lipophilicity of the polymeric matrix of the nanoparticle. Antibacterial testing of the emulsions against the Gram-positive microbe Staphylococcus aureus and the Gram-negative Escherichia coli found in vitro activities identical to those of the reference clinical agent, ciprofloxacin. Assays against human colorectal carcinoma cells and human embryonic kidney cells showed essentially no cytotoxicity. This is the first study on the synthesis of aqueous nanoparticle emulsions assembled solely from a single monomer derived from the antibiotic agent.