Three structurally defined QS-21-based immune adjuvant candidates (2a-2c) have been synthesized. Application of the two-stage activation glycosylation approach utilizing allyl glycoside building blocks improved the synthetic accessibility of the new adjuvants. The efficient synthesis and establishment of the stand-alone adjuvanticity of the examined synthetic adjuvant (2b) open the door to the pursuit of a new series of structurally defined QS-saponin based synthetic adjuvants.

New photoresponsive block copolymers (BCPs) have been developed by incorporating photocleavable units. These photocleavable units are derived from robust photolabile protecting groups (PPGs); UV irradiation cleaves the BCPs and releases a well-defined chemically active functional group at the cleaved end of a PS polymer.