Amphiphilic quaternized alginate-g-polytetrahydrofuran (QA-g-PTHF) graft copolymers were successfully synthesized via nucleophilic substitution of living PTHF + chains obtained via cationic ring-opening polymerization with the −OH side functional groups in QA. This unique graft copolymer exhibits low cytotoxicity and anti-protein adsorption. The QA-g-PTHF nanospheres (328 ± 21 nm) loaded with curcumin exhibit ninefold higher anticancer effect to HeLa cells than pure curcumin due to the synergistic roles from the graft copolymer. Both the interactions of cationic quaternary ammonium with the negatively charged HeLa cell surface and the hydrophobic PTHF branches with the hydrophobic cell membrane result in a great improvement in the entrance of nanospheres into HeLa cells and effective drug release therein. The QA-g-PTHF/Ag nanocomposites prepared in situ during the synthetic process demonstrate more than 98% killing efficiency for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of an amphiphilic, anti-protein, and antibacterial QA-g-PTHF copolymer with low cytotoxicity for potential anticancer applications.
The amphiphilic acylated chitosan-g-polyisobutylene
copolymers (ACS-g-PIB) could be achieved via highly
effective nucleophilic substitution of living PIB chains carrying
the oxonium ion (PIB-THF
n
+)
with −NH2 side groups along the ACS backbone, in
which the grafting number (G
N) was mediated
by changing [PIB-THF
n
+]/[−NH2]. The obvious microphase separation micromorphology formed
in copolymers due to incompatibility between the hydrophilic backbone
and hydrophobic branches. Crystallization from the ACS backbone in
copolymers became weaker while roughness and water contact angle on
copolymer surfaces increased with increasing G
N and length of PIB branches, leading to a great improvement
in antiprotein adsorption. The copolymers served as pH-sensitive drug
carriers for total release within 72 h at pH = 6.3. The ACS-g-PIB with uniformly dispersed silver nanoparticles (2.4
± 0.5 nm) have good antibacterial properties to both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example ACS-based
amphiphilic graft copolymers for potential application in the biomedical
field.
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