The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

In hydrogel-based drug delivery systems, drug release is often governed by passive diffusion, which limits active control over release behavior. To address this limitation, we developed a collagen-based hydrogel as a charge-controlled polymer platform enabling electrically responsive drug release. The collagen network was stabilized through coordination bonding with Pt metal ions, providing robustness under electrical stimulation. Owing to its polyampholytic nature, collagen enables regulation of network charge density via electrostatic interactions with poly(ethyleneimine), unlike neutral polymers such as poly(ethlene glycol). As a result, the hydrogel suppressed nonspecific drug leakage while enhancing drug loading and electrically induced release of charged drugs. This charge-controlled polymer platform demonstrates a versatile polymer design strategy for electrically responsive systems with utility in iontophoresis-related drug delivery and bioelectronic interface applications.