title: Caging metal ions with visible light-responsive nanopolymersomes.
abstract: Polymersomes are bilayer vesicles that self-assemble from amphiphilic diblock copolymers, and provide an attractive system for the delivery of biological and nonbiological molecules due to their environmental compatibility, mechanical stability, synthetic tunability, large aqueous core, and hyperthick hydrophobic membrane. Herein, we report a nanoscale photoresponsive polymersome system featuring a meso-to-meso ethyne-bridged bis[(porphinato)zinc] (PZn2) fluorophore hydrophobic membrane solute and dextran in the aqueous core. Upon 488 nm irradiation in solution or in microinjected zebrafish embryos, the polymersomes underwent deformation, as monitored by a characteristic red-shifted PZn2 emission spectrum and confirmed by cryo-TEM. The versatility of this system was demonstrated through the encapsulation and photorelease of a fluorophore (FITC), as well as two different metal ions, Zn(2+) and Ca(2+).
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania , 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States.
authors.forename: Julianne C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Griepenburg
authors.forename: Nimil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sood
authors.forename: Kevin B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Vargo
authors.forename: Dewight
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rawson
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Therien
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Hammer
authors.forename: Ivan J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Dmochowski
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000737:chemistry; D020285:Cryoelectron Microscopy; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008027:Light; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D015032:Zinc / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D015032:Zinc; D002118:Calcium