No abstract

The synthesis of a novel amphiphilic block copolymer containing a photodegradable linker as a junction point between hydrophilic and hydrophobic chains is presented. PmCL–ONB–PAA block copolymers were synthesized via a combination of ROP and ATRP from a difunctional photoresponsive initiator (ONB). The copolymers are biodegradable and biocompatible, they can self‐assemble into different structures, including micelles and vesicles which are photoresponsive. When polymer solutions were exposed to UV we observed significant changes in size and number of particles. We are currently investigating the promising potential of this system as photosensitive nanocarrier.

Amphiphilic di- and triblock copolymers having different hydrophilic-to-hydrophobic block length ratio were synthesized using ATRP. The self-assembly behavior of these AB and ABA block copolymers consisting of poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (B) and poly(2,2-(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (A) was investigated using a combination of dynamic light scattering, negative-stain transmission electron microscopy, cryoelectron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Two populations of self-organized structures in aqueous solution, micelles and compound micelles, were detected for diblock copolymers. Triblock copolymers assembled into vesicular structures of uniform sizes. Furthermore it was found that these vesicles tended to compensate the high curvature by additional organization of the polymer chains outside of the membrane. The chain hydrophilicity of the polymers appeared to have a critical impact on the self-assembly response toward temperature change. The self-reorganization of the polymers at different temperatures is discussed.

Surface-initiated ATRP was applied for the step-by-step growth of the biomimetic amphiphilic block copolymer membrane on a gold support. Different thicknesses of membranes were achieved through the variation of the polymerization conditions. The OH-groups of the hydrophilic polymer blocks can be further functionalized to tune the membrane properties. Synthesis, characterization, and solvent-responsive properties of the amphiphilic triblock copolymer membrane are presented

We like to give an overview about the developments in the field of synthetic biology, regarding polymer‐based analogs of cellular membranes and what questions can be answered by applying synthetic polymer science towards the smallest unit in life, namely a cell.