Design of polypeptide-functionalized polystyrene microspheres.
In this contribution, the principle of spontaneous surface segregation has been applied for the preparation of polypeptide-functionalized polystyrene microspheres. For that purpose, an amphiphilic diblock copolymer was introduced in the mixture styrene/divinylbenzene and polymerized using AIBN as initiator. During the polymerization, cross-linked particles were obtained in which the diblock copolymer was encapsulated. The amphiphilic diblock copolymers used throughout this study contain a hydrophilic polypeptide segment, either poly(L-lysine) or poly(L-glutamic acid) and a hydrophobic polystyrene block. After 4 h of polymerization, rather monodisperse particles with sizes of approximately 3-4 microm were obtained. Upon annealing in hot water, the hydrophilic polypeptides migrate to the interface, hence, either positively charged or neutral particles were obtained when poly(L-lysine) is revealed at the surface and exposed to acidic or basic pH, respectively. On the opposite, negatively charged particles were achieved in basic pH water by using poly(L-glutamic acid) as additive. The surface chemical composition was modified by changing the environment of the particles. Thus, exposure in toluene provoked a surface rearrangement, and due to its affinity, the polystyrene block reorients toward the interface.
Bousquet
A
A
Laboratoire de Chimie des Polymeres Organiques, LCPO-CNRS-Universite Bordeaux 1, ENSCPB-16, Avenue Pey Berland, 33607 Pessac-Cedex, France.
Perrier-Cornet
R
R
Ibarboure
E
E
Papon
E
E
Labrugère
C
C
Héroguez
V
V
Rodríguez-Hernández
J
J
D008863:Microspheres; D010316:Particle Size; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D011099:Polyglutamic Acid; D011107:Polylysine; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
D010455:Peptides; D011108:Polymers; D011137:Polystyrenes; D011107:Polylysine; D011099:Polyglutamic Acid