Influence of the block copolypeptide surfactant structure on the size of polypeptide nanoparticles obtained by mini emulsion polymerisation

Abstract

Polypetide nanoparticles obtained by miniemulsion polymerisation of amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides (NCA) are a novel class of tuneable bio-derived functional nano materials for potential applications in nutraceutics, agriculture, and medicine. This...

Position Matters: Pyridine Regioisomers Influence Secondary Structure and Micelle Morphology in Polymer-Homopolypeptide Micelles

“…Since the intra-and intermolecular interactions of the polymer chains can govern the self-assembly behavior of amphiphilic copolymers, differences in secondary structure are likely to influence the overall morphology of the micelles due to differences in core packing. 64 Overall, our findings suggest that the position of the pyridine heteroatom in the pendant groups of PEG-b-PMG regioisomers can influence the dominant secondary structures of the copolymer micelles in solution. As a result, these differences in secondary structure may contribute to changes in micelle morphology after selfassembly.…”

Investigation of the Effectiveness of Photo Deprotection of Polypeptides in Solution and within the Core of Miniemulsion-Derived Nanoparticles

“…Building on the results from the homopolypeptides, next, it was investigated whether the deprotection process can be transferred to polypeptide particles from miniemulsion. Previous work in our group has elucidated the synthesis of polypeptide nanoparticles obtained through NCA ring-opening polymerization (ROP) via miniemulsion. , In the initial work, o NB-Cys was used as the sole monomer, and it was hypothesized that upon cleavage of the o NB group, the exposed free thiols would be forming disulfide bonds creating cross-links. Here, we systematically investigated o NB-Cys and o NB-Glu copolymers at different monomer ratios as core forming polypeptides.…”

“…The nanoparticles were synthesized using our previously reported o/w emulsion polymerization methodology, using a macromolecular glycopolypeptide surfactant containing lysine functionalized with lactobionic acid, Scheme S4. , The aqueous phase consisted of 80 mg of surfactant dissolved in 10 mL of water and a DCM oil phase of 2 mL containing a total mass of 70 mg of monomers at different compositions. Triethylamine initiator was added after sonication and the suspension was polymerized open to air for 24 h, after which the particles were purified by dialysis for 72 h. During the synthesis and purification, the particles were kept out of ambient light to allow for a controlled tracking of the UV cleavage.…”

“…Miniemulsion polymerization is an attractive technique for the synthesis of nanoparticles, where polymerization takes place in discrete surfactant-stabilized organic-phase nanodroplets in an aqueous medium (oil-in-water emulsion). − While free radical polymerization is most frequently applied in miniemulsion polymerization, other polymerization techniques have been successfully explored. , We have recently disclosed the first example of polypeptide nanoparticles obtained by miniemulsion, whereby the ring-opening polymerization of amino acid N -carboxyanhydrides (NCAs) was triggered in the oil phase stabilized by an amphiphilic glycosylated polypeptide surfactant . Further studies revealed a particle size dependence on the surfactant/core compatibility in that particles are reproducibly 20–30% larger if the hydrophobic surfactant block is identical to the amino acid polymerized in the core . We hypothesize that these polypeptide nanoparticles can have broad use particularly in pharmaceutical or personal care applications due to their innate biocompatibility and the fact that they are only comprised of natural amino acids and carbohydrate building blocks, which sets them apart from other nanoparticles typically obtained by miniemulsion polymerization.…”

“… 6 Further studies revealed a particle size dependence on the surfactant/core compatibility in that particles are reproducibly 20–30% larger if the hydrophobic surfactant block is identical to the amino acid polymerized in the core. 7 We hypothesize that these polypeptide nanoparticles can have broad use particularly in pharmaceutical or personal care applications due to their innate biocompatibility and the fact that they are only comprised of natural amino acids and carbohydrate building blocks, which sets them apart from other nanoparticles typically obtained by miniemulsion polymerization.…”