Responsive fluorescent core-crosslinked polymer particles based on the anthracene-containing hyperbranched poly(ether amine) (hPEA–AN)

Abstract

We here demonstrated a novel multistimuli responsive core-crosslinked polymer particle with fluorescence. These polymer particles with uniform size in the range of 100–300 nm were fabricated by self-assembly of the anthracene-containing amphiphilic hyperbranched poly(ether amine) (hPEA–AN) in water, followed by UV-light induced crosslinking of the core through the photodimerization of anthracene. The obtained hPEA–AN particles exhibited high fluorescence, and their size and fluorescence were responsive to external stimuli such as temperature and pH. The size, as well as the fluorescence, of the hPEA–AN particles decreased with an increase in temperature and pH. Moreover, the hPEA–AN particles can encapsulate both the hydrophobic guest molecule distytyl pyridine (DSP) and the hydrophilic guest molecule methyl orange (MO) in water, and their fluorescence can be gradually quenched after encapsulation of these guest molecules and then recovered after these guest molecules are released. Based on these characteristics of the hPEA-AN particles, we tried to develop an attractive concept in the field of drug delivery: the controlled release of guest molecules monitored by the fluorescence changes of the hPEA-AN particles.