title: Amphiphilic core-shell nanocarriers based on hyperbranched poly(ester amide)-star-PCL: synthesis, characterization, and potential as efficient phase transfer agent.
abstract: Amphiphilic biodegradable star-shaped polymer was conveniently prepared by the Sn(Oct)2-catalyzed ring opening polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone (CL) with hyperbranched poly(ester amide) (PEA) as a macroinitiator. Various monomer/initiator ratios were employed to vary the length of the PCL arms. (1)H NMR and FTIR characterizations showed the successful synthesis of star polymer with high initiation efficiency. SEC analysis using triple detectors, RI, light scattering, and viscosity confirmed the controlled manner of polymerization and the star architecture. Because of the hydrophilic PEA core and hydrophobic PCL shell, the obtained star polymers displayed inverted unimolecular micellar structure confirmed by dynamic light scattering. Three water soluble dyes, congo red, methyl orange, and bromophenol blue, were used to investigate the host-guest behavior of the micelles. It proved that the core-shell unimolecular reverse micelles were able to transport polar dyes from water to the organic phase with a high efficiency of up to 22.6 dyes per polymer, indicating a great potential of the micelles as drug carriers. The influence of arm length and core size on the load efficiency of the nanocarrier was also evaluated.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Xiaohui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhongmin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Baixiang
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xuesi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yue-Sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000577:Amides / Q000737:chemistry*; D001391:Azo Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D001978:Bromphenol Blue / Q000737:chemistry; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D003224:Congo Red / Q000737:chemistry; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008823:Micelles; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
chemical_list: D000577:Amides; D001391:Azo Compounds; D004396:Coloring Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers; D008823:Micelles; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; D001978:Bromphenol Blue; C016240:polycaprolactone; D003224:Congo Red; C100258:methyl orange