Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Zhibin Guan.
Alkyne-azide cycloaddition ("click" chemistry) between two peptide strands derivatized with terminal azide and alkyne, respectively, provides an efficient convergent synthesis of triazole ring-based new beta-turn mimics.
A tandem polymerization methodology, chain walking polymerization (CWP) followed by atom transfer radical polymerization, was developed for efficient synthesis of nanoparticles for bioconjugation. Using the chain walking palladium-alpha-diimine catalyst (catalyst 1), dendritic polymers bearing multiple initiation sites were synthesized and used as macroinitiators for subsequent Cu(I)-mediated ATRP. Control of molecular weight and size of the water-soluble core-shell polymeric nanoparticles was achieved by tuning reaction conditions. Addition of an N-acryloyloxysuccinamide (NAS) monomer at the end of the ATRP afforded NHS-activated polymer nanoparticles. Conjugation with both small dye molecules and protein (ovalbumin) yielded nanoparticle conjugates with relatively high dye or protein per particle ratio. With the efficient synthesis and good biocompatibility, these nanoparticles may find many potential applications in bioconjugation.
Traditionally the dispersion of particles in polymeric materials has proven difficult and frequently results in phase separation and agglomeration. We show that thermodynamically stable dispersion of nanoparticles into a polymeric liquid is enhanced for systems where the radius of gyration of the linear polymer is greater than the radius of the nanoparticle. Dispersed nanoparticles swell the linear polymer chains, resulting in a polymer radius of gyration that grows with the nanoparticle volume fraction. It is proposed that this entropically unfavorable process is offset by an enthalpy gain due to an increase in molecular contacts at dispersed nanoparticle surfaces as compared with the surfaces of phase-separated nanoparticles. Even when the dispersed state is thermodynamically stable, it may be inaccessible unless the correct processing strategy is adopted, which is particularly important for the case of fullerene dispersion into linear polymers.
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In the pursuit of advanced biomaterials with combined strength, toughness, and elasticity, a new class of well-defined modular polymers has been synthesized, and their nanomechanical properties have been studied using atomic force microscopy. These polymers are based on a peptidomimetic beta-sheet-based double-closed loop (DCL) module, which was designed to overcome the limitation of the modular polymers we reported previously (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 2059). Single-molecule force-extension experiments revealed the sequential unfolding of these modules as the polymer is stretched, resulting in more regular sawtooth-patterned curves similar to those seen in titin and other biopolymers. The single-molecule data agreed well with computer modeling, which suggested that hydrogen bonding and pi-stacking are both involved in the formation of small DCL clusters along the polymer chain.
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[structure: see text] Herein we describe an efficient synthesis of cyclophanes comprised of intra-annular nitrogen functional groups through a template-promoted cyclization by ring-closing metathesis (RCM). The synthesis proceeds through condensation of meta-styryl anilines with acenaphthenequinone to form the templates, followed by RCM with Grubb's second-generation catalyst to afford cyclophanes with internal alpha-diimine functionality. Prolonged hydrogenation efficiently removes the template to provide a macrocycle containing the diamine functionality.
Here, we report the first example of transition metal-catalyzed one-pot synthesis of water-soluble dendritic molecular nanocarriers behaving like unimolecular micelles. Using the palladium-alpha-diimine chain walking catalyst, copolymerization of ethylene and comonomer 3 afforded, in one step, amphiphilic copolymer 1 having a hydrophobic core and a hydrophilic shell. A much larger amphiphilic core-shell copolymer 2 was synthesized by a two-step approach: a copolymer having many free hydroxyl groups was first prepared, which was subsequently coupled to poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to afford the copolymer 2. Light-scattering, fluorescence, and UV/vis spectroscopic studies with Nile Red in aqueous solution showed unimolecular micellar properties for both copolymers 1 and 2. The dye encapsulation capacity for the core-shell copolymers is nearly proportional to the molecular weight of the hydrophobic core. The unimolecular micellar properties coupled with the good water solubility and biocompatibility of the PEG moieties make these molecular nanocarriers promising candidates for many applications including drug delivery and controlled drug release.
A long lasting challenge in polymer science is to design polymers that combine desired mechanical properties such as tensile strength, fracture toughness, and elasticity into one structure. A novel biomimetic modular polymer design is reported here to address this challenge. Following the molecular mechanism used in nature, modular polymers containing multiple loops were constructed by using precise and strong hydrogen bonding units. Single-molecule force-extension experiments revealed the sequential unfolding of loops as a chain is stretched. The excellent correlation between the single-molecule and the bulk properties successfully demonstrates our biomimetic concept of using modular domain structure to achieve advanced polymer properties.
A novel carbohydrate-derived side-chain polyether was synthesized as a new biomaterial by condensation polymerization of monomers derived from natural occurring carbohydrates. Surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy studies demonstrated that this side-chain polyether has excellent resistance to nonspecific protein adsorption. The protein resistant capability of the side-chain polyether is comparable to that of oligoethylene glycol, a main-chain polyether that is, to date, the best protein resistant material. In addition to the excellent biocompatibility, the new polymer also combines biodegradability and functionalizability. With these combined good properties, this side-chain polyether is envisioned as a new biomaterial for many potential biomedical applications.
The branching topology of ethylene polar copolymers was for the first time successfully controlled by copolymerization of ethylene with polar olefins using a palladium-bisimine chain-walking catalyst, in which ethylene pressure and comonomer concentration were used to control the competition between isomerization (chain-walking) and monomer insertion processes. Although the overall branching density changes very slightly, the topology of the copolymers becomes more dendritic as the ethylene pressure and comonomer feed concentration are decreasing. This provides a straightforward one-pot synthesis to access a full range of functional copolymers having controllable branching topologies. To demonstrate the utility of this methodology, dendritic functional copolymers having hydroxyl, epoxide, and carbohydrate groups were prepared in a one-pot polymerization as potential functional materials.
Chain-walking catalysts are demonstrated to control the branching topology of polyethylene by tuning the competition between monomer insertion and chain isomerization (walking). The topology of the polyethylene was controlled from linear with moderate branching to hyperbranched to dendritic. Although overall branching number and distribution of short chain branching are relatively constant, the topology of the polyethylene changes from linear polyethylene with moderate branches at high ethylene pressures to a dendritic polyethylene at low pressures. This provides a straightforward one-pot process for making polymers with a full range of tunable topologies.
A novel approach was demonstrated for the synthesis of hyperbranched polymers by direct free radical polymerization of divinyl monomers controlled by a cobalt chain transfer catalyst (1). By controlling the competition between propagation and chain transfer with 1, the free radical polymerization of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (3) afforded soluble hyperbranched polymers in one pot. The structure of the hyperbranched polymers was confirmed by (1)H and (13)C NMR. The molecular weight and intrinsic viscosity of the hyperbranched polymers were measured by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) equipped with triple detectors. The intrinsic viscosities of the hyperbranched polymers are much lower than those of their linear analogues and do not show molecular weight dependence. The unique structure and properties of these hyperbranched polymers combined with the commercial availability of many divinyl monomers and the robustness of free radical polymerization make this new approach attractive for the preparation of new functional materials.