title: Concurrent block copolymer polymersome stabilization and bilayer permeabilization by stimuli-regulated "traceless" crosslinking.
abstract: The fabrication of block copolymer (BCP) vesicles (polymersomes) exhibiting synchronized covalent crosslinking and bilayer permeabilization remains a considerable challenge as crosslinking typically leads to compromised membrane permeability. Herein it is demonstrated how to solve this dilemma by employing a stimuli-triggered crosslinking strategy with amphiphilic BCPs containing photolabile carbamate-caged primary amines. Upon self-assembling into polymersomes, light-triggered self-immolative decaging reactions release primary amine moieties and extensive amidation reactions then occur due to suppressed amine pKa within hydrophobic milieu. This leads to serendipitous vesicle crosslinking and the process is associated with bilayer hydrophobicity-to-hydrophilicity transition and membrane permeabilization.
authors: CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical, Sciences at the Microscale, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China).
authors: Xiaorui
authors: X
authors: Wang
authors: Guhuan
authors: G
authors: Liu
authors: Jinming
authors: J
authors: Hu
authors: Guoying
authors: G
authors: Zhang
authors: Shiyong
authors: S
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D015394:Molecular Structure; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012995:Solubility; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D014867:Water
keywords: block copolymers; crosslinking; permeability; polymersomes; self-assembly