A rapid and efficient approach for the preparation and modification of a versatile class of functional polymer nanoparticles has been developed, for which the entire engineering process from small molecules to polymers to nanoparticles bypasses typical slow and inefficient procedures, and rather employs a series of steps that capture fully the “click” chemistry concepts that have greatly facilitated the preparation of complex polymer materials over the past decade. The construction of various nanoparticles with functional complexity from a versatile platform is a challenging aim to provide materials for fundamental studies and also optimization toward a diverse range of applications. In this paper, we demonstrate the rapid and facile preparation of a family of nanoparticles with different surface charges and functionalities based on a biodegradable polyphosphoester block copolymer system. From a retrosynthetic point of view, the non-ionic, anionic, cationic and zwitterionic micelles with hydrodynamic diameters between 13 nm to 21 nm and great size uniformity were quickly formed by suspending, independently, four amphiphilic diblock polyphosphoesters into water, which were functionalized from the same parental hydrophobic-functional AB diblock polyphosphoester by “click” type thiol-yne reactions. The well-defined (PDI < 1.2) hydrophobic-functional AB diblock polyphosphoester was synthesized by an ultrafast (< 5 min) organocatalyzed ring-opening polymerization in a two-step, one-pot manner with the quantitative conversions of two kinds of cyclic phospholane monomers. The whole programmable process starting from small molecules to nanoparticles could be completed within 6 h, as the most rapid approach for the anionic and non-ionic nanoparticles, although the cationic and zwitterionic nanoparticles required ca. 2 days due to purification by dialysis. The micelles showed high biocompatibility, with even the cationic micelles exhibiting a 6-fold lower cytotoxicity toward RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cells, as compared to the Lipofectamine® commercial transfection agent.

Saccharides, based on their wide bioavailability, high chemical functionality and stereochemical diversity, are attractive starting materials for the development of new synthetic polymers. Established carbonylation methodologies were used to synthesize a 5-membered cyclic carbonate monomer, 4,6-O-benzylidene-2,3-O-carbonyl-α-d-glucopyranoside (MBGC), in high yield (>95%) from a commercially available d-glucopyranoside derivative. The ability of this monomer to undergo ring-opening polymerization (ROP) with a range of organocatalysts, rather than the previously reported anionic initiators, was investigated. These new conditions were developed to widen the functional group tolerance in the polymerization, and achieve better control over the final properties of the polymers. The most promising of the catalysts examined, 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]­dec-5-ene (TBD), was used in a kinetic study to confirm the well-controlled nature of the ROP. Optimized conditions were then successfully applied to the synthesis of polymers of different molecular weights. Two post-polymerization modifications were completed via the removal of the benzylidene acetal protecting group to release a water-soluble poly­(glucose carbonate), and then addition of acetyl groups to facilitate characterization studies. MALDI-TOF MS analysis was performed to further probe the chemistry of the polymerization and deprotection. A wide range of thermal decomposition temperatures (233–347 °C), glass transition temperatures (87–233 °C), and water contact angles (38–128°) was achieved by this series of polymers. The hydrolytic degradability of these polymers was also examined, demonstrating differing degradation mechanisms based on the acidic vs. basic conditions used. Consequently, this single monomer was successfully employed in the straightforward synthesis of a polymeric system with tunable properties based on the molecular weight and repeat unit composition.

A liquid crystalline elastomer incorporating a mesogenic derivative of the 2,6-bisbenzimidazolylpyridine (Bip) ligand has been prepared, and its shape memory and actuating properties have been studied. The reversible liquid crystal to isotropic transition is utilized as the switching mechanism for these stimuli-responsive materials. As such, this material exhibits soft shape memory; that is, flexibility is retained in both the permanent and temporary shapes. In addition to the thermal shape memory/actuating properties exhibited by most liquid crystalline elastomers, the incorporation of the metal ion-binding Bip mesogen into the backbone of the network imparts both (i) photoresponsive properties, via a photothermal conversion process, and (ii) metal-ion-triggered shape recovery/actuation to the material. For the latter process, it is proposed that the metal-binding event induces liquid crystalline to isotropic transition in this material at room temperature, resulting in actuation/recovery of the permanent shape.

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Strategies for the preparation of polycarbonates, derived from the natural product d-glucose, which have the potential to degrade back into their bioresorbable starting material and CO2, were developed. By employing established carbohydrate protection/deprotection chemistries, two d-glucose derivatives, methyl 4,6-O-benzylidene-α-d-glucopyranoside or methyl α-d-glucopyranoside, were converted into four different regioisomeric diol monomers, i.e., 1,4-, 1,6-, 2,6-, or 3,6-diols, as confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. Each type of regioisomeric monomer was then employed in a condensation polymerization with phosgene, generated in situ from triphosgene, as a comonomer, in the presence of pyridine, to produce four types of polycarbonates with different backbone regio-connectivity, as characterized by size exclusion chromatography, NMR spectroscopy, and IR spectroscopy. Interestingly, their thermal properties, i.e., glass transition temperature (T g) and thermal degradation behavior, were tunable by changing the topological composition of the monomeric unit. That is, polycarbonates with 2,6- and 3,6-backbone connectivity resulted in significantly higher T g of ca. 85 and 83 °C, respectively, as compared to those with 1,4- and 1,6-backbone connectivity, showing a T g of ca. 33 °C, as measured by differential scanning calorimetry. Furthermore, when the thermal decomposition temperature was measured by thermogravimetric analysis, the nonanomeric carbon backbone-based polycarbonates (2,6- and 3,6-) exhibited higher thermal stability and a sharper decomposition profile, with onset decomposition temperature (T d,onset) at 363 or 336 °C, as compared with those polymers containing the anomeric carbon in the carbonate linkage (1,4- and 1,6-), having T d,onset at 171 and 163 °C.

Nanoparticles (NPs) play expanding roles in biomedical applications including imaging and therapy, however, their long-term fate and clearance profiles have yet to be fully characterized in vivo. NP delivery via the airway is particularly challenging, as the clearance may be inefficient and lung immune responses complex. Thus, specific material design is required for cargo delivery and quantitative, noninvasive methods are needed to characterize NP pharmacokinetics. Here, biocompatible poly(acrylamidoethylamine)-b-poly(DL-lactide) block copolymer-based degradable, cationic, shell-cross-linked knedel-like NPs (Dg-cSCKs) were employed to transfect plasmid DNA. Radioactive and optical beacons were attached to monitor biodistribution and imaging. The preferential release of cargo in acidic conditions provided enhanced transfection efficiency compared to non-degradable counterparts. In vivo gene transfer to the lung was correlated with NP pharmacokinetics by radiolabeling Dg-cSCKs and performing quantitative biodistribution with parallel positron emission tomography and Čerenkov imaging. Quantitation of imaging over 14 days corresponded with the pharmacokinetics of NP movement from the lung to gastrointestinal and renal routes, consistent with predicted degradation and excretion. This ability to noninvasively and accurately track NP fate highlights the advantage of incorporating multifunctionality into particle design.

Magnolol, a neolignan natural product with antioxidant properties, contains inherent, orthogonal, phenolic, and alkenyl reactive groups that were used in both direct thermoset synthesis, as well as the stepwise synthesis of a small library of monomers, followed by transformation into thermoset materials. Each monomer from the small library was prepared via a single step functionalization reaction of the phenolic groups of magnolol. Thermoset materials were realized through solvent-free, thiol-ene reactions, and the resulting cross-linked materials were each comprised of thioether and ester linkages, with one retaining the hydrophilic phenols from magnolol, another having the phenols protected as an acetonide, and two others incorporating the phenols into additional cross-linking sites via hydrolytically labile carbonates or stable ether linkages. With this diversity of chemical compositions and structures, the thermosets displayed a range of thermomechanical properties including glass transition temperatures, T, 29-52 °C, onset of thermal degradation, T, from about 290-360 °C, and ultimate strength up to 50 MPa. These tunable materials were studied in their degradation and biological properties with the aim of exploiting the antioxidant properties of the natural product. Hydrolytic degradation occurred under basic conditions (pH = 11) in all thermosets, but with kinetics that were dependent upon their chemical structures and mechanical properties: 20% mass loss was observed at 5, 7, 27, and 40 weeks for the thermosets produced from magnolol directly, acetonide-protected magnolol, bis(allyl carbonate)-functionalized magnolol, and bis(allyl ether)-functionalized magnolol, respectively. Isolated degradation products and model compounds displayed antioxidant properties similar to magnolol, as determined by both UV-vis and in vitro reactive oxygen species (ROS) assays. As these magnolol-based thermosets were found to also allow for extended cell culture, these materials may serve as promising degradable biomaterials.

This manuscript is dedicated to Professor Mitsuo Sawamoto's outstanding achievements in polymer chemistry and recognizes his recent retirement from 40 years of exceptional service to Kyoto University.ABSTRACT: Carbohydrates are the fundamental building blocks of many natural polymers, their wide bioavailability, high chemical functionality, and stereochemical diversity make them attractive starting materials for the development of new synthetic polymers. In this work, one such carbohydrate, D-glucopyranoside, was utilized to produce a hydrophobic five-membered cyclic carbonate monomer to afford sugar-based amphiphilic copolymers and block copolymers via organocatalyzed ring-opening polymerizations with 4-methylbenzyl alcohol and methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) as initiator and macroinitiator, respectively. To modulate the amphiphilicities of these polymers acidic benzylidene cleavage reactions were performed to deprotect the sugar repeat units and present hydrophilic hydroxyl side chain groups. Assembly of the polymers under aqueous conditions revealed interesting morphological differences, based on the polymer molar mass and repeat unit composition. The initial polymers, prior to the removal of the benzylidenes, underwent a morphological change from micelles to vesicles as the sugar block length was increased, causing a decrease in the hydrophilichydrophobic ratio. Deprotection of the sugar block increased the hydrophilicity and gave micellar morphologies. This tunable polymeric platform holds promise for the production of advanced materials for implementation in a diverse range of applications.Morphological control over the supramolecular assembly of amphiphilic polymers has been studied widely in the bulk and solution states. [21][22][23][24][25][26] A key advantage for amphiphilic polymers and block polymers is their ability to undergo assembly in water. The self-assembly of amphiphilic block copolymers into micelles or other nanostructures in aqueous solution allows Additional supporting information may be found in the online version of this article. † Shota Osumi and Simcha E. Felder contributed equally to this study.