Vinyl Ether Maleic Acid Polymers: Tunable Polymers for Self-Assembled Lipid Nanodiscs and Environments for Membrane Proteins.

Native lipid bilayer mimetics, including those that use amphiphilic polymers, are important for the effective study of membrane-bound peptides and proteins. Copolymers of vinyl ether monomers and maleic anhydride were developed with controlled molecular weights and hydrophobicity through reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization. After polymerization, the maleic anhydride units can be hydrolyzed, giving dicarboxylates.