Using Dynamic Covalent Chemistry To Drive Morphological Transitions: Controlled Release of Encapsulated Nanoparticles from Block Copolymer Vesicles.

ABSTRACT: Dynamic covalent chemistry is exploited to drive morphological order-order transitions to achieve the controlled release of a model payload (e.g., silica nanoparticles) encapsulated within block copolymer vesicles. More specifically, poly(glycerol monomethacrylate)-poly(2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate) (PGMA-PHPMA) diblock copolymer vesicles were prepared via aqueous polymerization-induced self-assembly in either the presence or absence of silica nanoparticles. Addition of 3-aminophenylboronic acid (APBA) to such vesicles results in specific binding of this reagent to some of the pendent cis-diol groups on the hydrophilic PGMA chains to form phenylboronate ester bonds in mildly alkaline aqueous solution (pH ∼ 10). This leads to a subtle increase in the effective volume fraction of this stabil

SUBMITTER: Deng R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5465507 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature