Self-immolative polymers.
Smart polymers are special kinds of polymeric molecules that respond to external stimuli. We have developed a novel smart polymer designed to sequentially disassemble into its building blocks upon initiation by a triggering event at the polymer head. The polymer structure is based on a polyurethane backbone that disassembles through a domino-like, 1,6-elimination and decarboxylation reactions. We synthesized a self-immolative polymer that amplifies a single cleavage reaction into multiple release of fluorogenic molecules and confirmed the head-to-tail disassembly concept. These polymers can be used to prepare highly sensitive molecular sensors with large signal-to-noise ratios. The sensors should be useful for the detection of a wide range of biological and chemical activities through use of the appropriate trigger at the polymer head.
Sagi
Amit
A
School of Chemistry, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978 Israel.
Weinstain
Roy
R
Karton
Naama
N
Shabat
Doron
D
D002384:Catalysis; D003653:Decarboxylation; D050091:Dendrimers / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D017953:Isocyanates / Q000737:chemistry; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008956:Models, Chemical; D011140:Polyurethanes / Q000737:chemistry
D050091:Dendrimers; D017953:Isocyanates; D011140:Polyurethanes