# Synthesis and Evaluation of Carbon Black-Containing Hydrogels for the Adsorption of 5-Fluorouracil

## TL;DR

Researchers developed a new contact lens material using carbon black-containing hydrogels to trap the cancer drug 5-Fluorouracil and reduce eye side effects.

## Contribution

The study introduces carbon black-printed hydrogels as a novel material for adsorbing 5-Fluorouracil in contact lenses.

## Key findings

- Hydrogels with higher water content and carbon black showed 21% increased 5-FU adsorption.
- 5-Fluorouracil remained strongly bound in the hydrogel matrix after washing due to hydrophobic interactions.
- Carbon black's surface area and functional groups improved dispersibility and drug adsorption efficiency.

## Abstract

The widely used anticancer drug 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) may potentially elicit adverse side effects on the eyes. To address this problem, we aimed to synthesize hydrogels containing carbon black (CB), a porous material, for use as a 5-FU-adsorbent contact lens material. High-performance liquid chromatography revealed a direct correlation between the specific surface area of CB particles and 5-FU adsorption. CB particles with functional surface groups were characterized by superior dispersibility in monomer solutions, whereas the results of combustion ion chromatography indicated that 5-FU adsorption was higher for hydrogels with a higher water content and that the addition of CB to the hydrogel further enhanced the rate of 5-FU adsorption by 21%. In addition, 5-FU was strongly fixed within the CB-printed hydrogel matrix even after washing, with hydrophobic interactions with CB being established to be highly effective for binding 5-FU. Collectively, the findings of our study revealed that CB-printed hydrogel is a promising novel material for fabricating 5-FU-trapping contact lenses.