Exploring the influence of mechanical and physical characteristics on transdermal patches: a study on polymeric films composed of hyaluronic acid and zinc oxide nanoparticles

This study examines the physicomechanical and special properties of polymer films composed of hyaluronic acid (HA) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles that can be used as transdermal patches. Transdermal patches are a popular method of medical and cosmetic procedures in various disciplines, not limited to cosmetology, gynecology, oncology, etc. They have advantages such as convenience and simplicity, the possibility of uniform drug delivery, and a wide range of possible applications. These advantages make transdermal patches an important tool for various areas of medicine. However, most biopolymers used as a polymer matrix do not meet the required physicomechanical properties when creating polymer films for medical purposes. That is why hyaluronic acid with ZnO nanoparticles as a filler was chosen as a polymer base. The work examines the effect of nanoparticle concentration on the physicomechanical and special properties of hyaluronic acid-based polymer films. It has been shown that using 5 wt.% ZnO nanoparticles results in the production of a polymer film based on hyaluronic acid, with optimal mechanical parameters for the balance between the relative elongation and strength of the resulting materials and compliance with the skin texture, which is of critical importance for increasing the long-term effectiveness of the use of the obtained polymer films as a base for creating transdermal patches