title: Synthesis, Characterization and Preliminary Biological Evaluation of P(HPMA)-b-P(LLA) Copolymers: A New Type of Functional Biocompatible Block Copolymer.
abstract: We describe a synthetic pathway to functional P(HPMA)-b-P(LLA) block copolymers. The synthesis relies on a combination of ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide, conversion into a chain transfer agent (CTA) for the RAFT polymerization of pentafluorophenyl methacrylate. A series of block copolymers was prepared that exhibited molecular weights $\overline M _{\rm n}$ ranging from 7 600 to 34 300 g · mol(-1) , with moderate PDI between 1.3 and 1.45. These reactive precursor polymers have been transformed into biocompatible P(HPMA)-b-P(LLA) copolymers and their fluorescently labeled derivatives by facile replacement of the pentafluorophenyl groups. The fluorescence label attached to this new type of a partially degradable amphiphilic block copolymer was used to study cellular uptake in human cervix adenocarcinoma (HeLa) cells as well as aggregation behavior by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS).
authors.affiliation: Institute of Organic Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Duesbergweg 10-14, D-55099 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barz
authors.forename: Florian K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Fabiana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Canal
authors.forename: Kaloian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koynov
authors.forename: Maria J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Vicent
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Frey
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zentel