Alternating-block hyperbranched polymers were synthesized using the highly versatile thiol-yne reaction. Dimethyl acrylamide-styrene and tert-butyl acrylate-styrene polymers were prepared, with subsequent hydrolysis of the tert-butyl ester to acrylic acid. The dimethyl acrylamide-styrene hyperbranched polymers self-assembled into large aggregates, as did the acrylic acid-styrene system at low pH. However, high pH triggers the formation of very well defined small particles in the latter system.
passive (e.g., enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect) [3] or active (e.g., by attachment of antibodies, [4] sugars, [5] or peptides) [6] targeting. Such systems can be synthesized by a large number of different methods starting either from a polymeric precursor (e.g., nanoprecipitation, solvent switch) or directly from monomers (emulsion polymerization methods). [7] Surfactant-free reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) emulsion polymerization displays a particularly valuable method in a biomedical context, as no surfactants are required to stabilize the formed nanoparticles. [8][9][10] Hence no molecules can desorb from the particle surface and cause unwanted side-effects or destabilize the colloidal particles. [11] The synthesis is utilized via the use of chain transfer agent (CTA)-end-capped diblock copolymers in emulsion. [12][13][14][15][16] The diblock is dispersed in a micellar manner and chain extended with a hydrophobic monomer to form nanoparticles. The potential of these systems in a biomedical context was already demonstrated by Stenzel et al. for the production of bacteria interactive particle systems, [17] or by WangThe authors report the preparation of a novel range of functional polyacrylamide stabilized polystyrene nanoparticles, obtained by surfactant-free reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) emulsion polymerization, their fluorescent tagging, cellular uptake, and biodistribution. The authors show the versatility of the RAFT emulsion process for the design of functional nanoparticles of well-defined size that can be used as drug delivery vectors. Functionalization with a fluorescent tag offers a useful visualization tool for tracing, localization, and clearance studies of these carriers in biological models. The studies are carried out by labeling the sterically stabilized latex particles chemically with rhodamine B. The fluorescent particles are incubated in a healthy human renal proximal tubular cell line model, and intravenously injected into a mouse model. Cellular localization and biodistribution of these particles on the biological models are explored.
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