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.
Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Department of Materials, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) and University of Zurich, Moussonstrasse 18, CH-8044 Zurich, Switzerland.
Alessandro
A
Napoli
Massimiliano
M
Valentini
Nicola
N
Tirelli
Martin
M
Müller
Jeffrey A
JA
Hubbell
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