title: Thermally triggered frame-guided assembly.
abstract: We report a thermally triggered frame-guided assembly (FGA) strategy for the preparation of vesicles. We employ thermally responsive poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) to make the leading hydrophobic groups (LHGs) thermally responsive, so that they are hydrophilic below the low critical solution temperature (LCST) and the frame forms in a homogeneous environment. When the temperature is increased above the LCST, the LHGs become hydrophobic and the assembly process is triggered, which drives DNA-b-PPO to assemble around the LHGs, forming vesicles. This work verified that FGA is a general strategy and can be applied to polymeric systems. The thermally triggered assembly not only provides more controllability over the FGA process but also promotes an in-depth understanding of the FGA strategy and in a broad view, the formation mechanism and functions of cell membrane.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (P. R. China); Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100190 (P. R. China).
authors.forename: Zhiyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yuanchen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Zhongqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Qing-Hua
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Dongsheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry; D006358:Hot Temperature; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008823:Micelles; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D011409:Propylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D008823:Micelles; D011108:Polymers; D011409:Propylene Glycols; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; C012504:polypropylene glycol; D006046:Gold; D004247:DNA
keywords: amphiphiles; block copolymers; frame-guided assembly; poly(propylene oxide); thermally responsive