title: Synthesis and characterization of a novel water-soluble cationic diblock copolymer with star conformation by ATRP.
abstract: A water-soluble cationic diblock copolymer, CD-PAM-b-PMeDMA, was synthesized through atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) from a β-cyclodextrin (CD) macroinitiator with 10-active sites (10Br-β-CD). In order to reduce the cytotoxicity of the CD-PAM-b-PMeDMA, biocompatible polyacrylamide (PAM) was first introduced onto the surface of β-CD as a scaffold structure by ATRP using the 10Br-β-CD as a macroinitiator. The reaction conditions of AM were explored and optimized. The ATRP of [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] trimethyl ammonium chloride (MeDMA) was also performed to synthesize the second cationic block using the resulting CD-PAM as a macroinitiator. The resulting diblock copolymer shows an increased hydrodynamic radius in aqueous solution with a pretty low concentration compared with β-CD. In addition, it appears a near-uniform coniform after being deposited on mica ascribed to the presence of an asymmetric 10-arm structure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada; School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
authors.forename: Shuzhao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada.
authors.forename: Miaomiao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada. Electronic address: hxiao@unb.ca.
authors.forename: Huining
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D002412:Cations; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D058105:Polymerization; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D066244:Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D012995:Solubility; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D047392:beta-Cyclodextrins / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D002412:Cations; D011108:Polymers; D047392:beta-Cyclodextrins; D014867:Water; C031215:betadex
keywords: ATRP; Gene delivery; Star diblock copolymer; β-Cyclodextrin