Issue 10, 2021

Naked micelles: well-defined polymer nanoparticles from photo-cleavable block copolymer micelles

Abstract

Ultra-small nanoparticles (NPs) with accessible surface functionalities in the range of 3–50 nm are of great interest due to their defined size and surface properties, which could bridge the gap between natural and synthetic materials. Although NPs available in nature present more sophisticated functions as compared to synthetic materials, the physicochemical and colloidal behaviour is primarily dominated by geometry and surface charge; synthetic counterparts could mimic aggregation and interaction behaviour based on similar size, shape and surface structure. Inorganic ultra-small NPs exist in a large variety; however polymeric counterparts present major problems when trying to produce them in a controlled manner in the sub-50 nm range. Here, we present the synthesis and self-assembly of a photolabile diblock copolymers into spheres, worms and vesicles followed by photocleaving of the corona leaving the core unaltered, which is then surrounded by negative charge. The polymer features a water-soluble polyethylene oxide (PEO) corona block and a hydrophobic polystyrene (PS) core block. The two blocks are covalently linked by an o-nitrobenzyl moiety (ONB), which upon exposure to UV light (λ = 365 nm) opens up, leaving a carboxylic acid functionality on the PS core for electrostatic stabilization. The negatively charged core then interacts with cationic species, e.g., cationic gold NPs (AuNPs), which will decorate the PS surface.

Graphical abstract: Naked micelles: well-defined polymer nanoparticles from photo-cleavable block copolymer micelles

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
03 oct. 2020
Accepted
17 nov. 2020
First published
18 nov. 2020

Polym. Chem., 2021,12, 1429-1438

Naked micelles: well-defined polymer nanoparticles from photo-cleavable block copolymer micelles

G. Quintieri and A. H. Gröschel, Polym. Chem., 2021, 12, 1429 DOI: 10.1039/D0PY01408G

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements