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PubMed · 14991021

Oxidation-responsive polymeric vesicles.

Alessandro Napoli·Massimiliano Valentini·Nicola Tirelli·Martin Müller·Jeffrey A Hubbell
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Abstract

Vesicles formed in water by synthetic macro-amphiphiles have attracted much attention as nanocontainers having properties that extend the physical and chemical limits of liposomes. We sought to develop ABA block copolymeric amphiphiles that self-assemble into unilamellar vesicles that can be further oxidatively destabilized. We selected poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as the hydrophilic A blocks, owing to its resistance to protein adsorption and low toxicity. As hydrophobic B blocks, we selected poly(propylene sulphide) (PPS), owing to its extreme hydrophobicity, its low glass-transition temperature, and most importantly its oxidative conversion from a hydrophobe to a hydrophile, poly(propylene sulphoxide) and ultimately poly(propylene sulphone). This is the first example of the use of oxidative conversions to destabilize such carriers. This new class of oxidation-responsive polymeric vesicles may find applications as nanocontainers in drug delivery, biosensing and biodetection.

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Hydrogen PeroxideMagnetic Resonance SpectroscopyMicroscopy, ElectronOxidation-ReductionPolymersSurface-Active AgentsTime FactorsJournal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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Alessandro Napoli, Massimiliano Valentini, Nicola Tirelli, Martin Müller, Jeffrey A Hubbell. 2004-02-15. Oxidation-responsive polymeric vesicles.. https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat1081

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