Tuning Cellular Interactions of Carboxylic Acid-Side-Chain-Containing Polyacrylates: The Role of Cyanine Dye Label and Side-Chain Type.

Cellular uptake and intracellular targeting to specific organelles are key events in the cellular processing of nanomaterials. Herein, we perform a detailed structure-property relationship study on carboxylic acid-side-chain-bearing polyacrylates to provide design criteria for the manipulation of their cellular interactions. Redox-initiated reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RRAFT) polymerization of three -butyl-protected -acylated amino ester-based acrylate monomers of different substitutions and degrees of polymerization (DPs) yielded defined and pH-responsive carboxylic acid-side-chain polymers upon deprotection (-acetyl, DP 1: P(M); -propionyl, DP 1: P(E), DP 2: P(E)).