Oxidation-responsive polymeric vesicles.
Vesicles formed in water by synthetic macro-amphiphiles have attracted much attention as nanocontainers having properties that extend the physical and chemical limits of liposomes. We sought to develop ABA block copolymeric amphiphiles that self-assemble into unilamellar vesicles that can be further oxidatively destabilized. We selected poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as the hydrophilic A blocks, owing to its resistance to protein adsorption and low toxicity. As hydrophobic B blocks, we selected poly(propylene sulphide) (PPS), owing to its extreme hydrophobicity, its low glass-transition temperature, and most importantly its oxidative conversion from a hydrophobe to a hydrophile, poly(propylene sulphoxide) and ultimately poly(propylene sulphone). This is the first example of the use of oxidative conversions to destabilize such carriers. This new class of oxidation-responsive polymeric vesicles may find applications as nanocontainers in drug delivery, biosensing and biodetection.
Napoli
Alessandro
A
Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Department of Materials, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) and University of Zurich, Moussonstrasse 18, CH-8044 Zurich, Switzerland.
Valentini
Massimiliano
M
Tirelli
Nicola
N
Müller
Martin
M
Hubbell
Jeffrey A
JA
D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000737:chemistry; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D013997:Time Factors
D011108:Polymers; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide