Functionalization of Active Ester-Based Polymersomes for Enhanced Cell Uptake and Stimuli-Responsive Cargo Release.

Poly(2,3-dihydroxypropyl methacrylamide) (P(DHPMA))-based amphiphilic block copolymers have recently proven to form polymer vesicles (polymersomes). In this work, we further expand their potential by incorporating (i) units for pH-dependent disintegration into the hydrophobic membrane and (ii) mannose as targeting unit into the hydrophilic block. This last step relies on the use of an active ester prepolymer.

A deeper insight into the postpolymerization modification of polypenta fluorophenyl methacrylates to poly(n-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide).

This work provides a detailed insight into the synthesis of N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) polymers employing the activated ester approach. In this approach, polypenta fluorophenyl methacrylate (PFPMA)-activated ester polymers are synthesized by the reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and transferred into HPMA-based systems by the use of 2-hydroxypropylamine. To prove quantitative conversion in the absence of side reactions, special attention is devoted to investigate different reaction conditions by different analytical methods ((1) H, (19) F, inverse-gated (13) C NMR, and zeta potential measurements).

PNIPAM Copolymers Containing Light-Responsive Chromophores: A Method Toward Molecular Logic Gates.

A series of thermo-responsive PNIPAM copolymers containing different amounts of fulgimide moieties has been synthesized via a polymer analogous reaction of poly(pentafluorophenyl acrylate). All copolymers were designed to exhibit a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) in water, which was only weakly dependent on the amount of incorporated chromophoric fulgimide groups. The copolymers showed a photocyclization of the fulgimide side groups upon irradiation with UV-light accompanied with a color change.