Thiol-functionalized shell crosslinked knedel-like (SCK) nanoparticles: A versatile entry for their conjugation with biomacromolecules.

ABSTRACT: Shell crosslinked knedel-like (SCK) nanoparticles were prepared having thiol-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains extending throughout their shell layers and were then conjugated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model biomacromolecule. The SCKs originated from amphiphilic block copolymers of acrylic acid and styrene, PAA(66)-b-PS(71), pre-functionalized with ca. five mono-tBoc-protected diamino PEG(32) per polymer chain, which then had undergone deprotection and amidation with N-Succinimidyl-S-acetylthiohexanionate to introduce an acetyl-protected thiol chain terminus on the end of each PEG graft. Assembly of these amphiphilic graft block copolymers into micelles, by transitioning from N,N-dimethylformamide to water, was followed by amidation-based crosslinking throughout the

SUBMITTER: Nystrom AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2597865 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature