Light-Triggered Disruption of PAG-Based Amphiphilic Random Copolymer Micelles

Abstract

The amphiphilic random copolymer of P(NVP-co-NHPSS) with photocleavable N-O sulfonate side groups has been prepared to investigate the light-triggered disruption of copolymer micelles. Methods of absorption and emission spectra, solution transmittance, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were applied. It was found that P(NVP-co-NHPSS) could form polymeric nanoaggregates in aqueous solution. And the photocleavage of the N-O bond within copolymer micelles upon 365 nm UV light could be conveniently controlled by changing the irradiation intensity, leading to the disruption of copolymer micelles and the photocontrolled release of Nile red encapsulation. And by encapsulating NaLuF4:Gd/Yb/Tm UCNPs inside copolymer micelles, the response of the photocleavable N-O bond to the 980 nm laser was much weaker than the response to 365 nm light; however, the photocontrolled release of Nile red could still be effectively triggered by the NIR light of the 980 nm laser.

Spontaneous Self‐Assembly and Micellization of Random Copolymers in Organic Solvents

“…Supramolecular structures formed by block copolymers (BCPs) have attracted extensive attention due to their ability to create ordered structures and the wide variety of morphologies that can be achieved by manipulating block lengths and chemistries . Random copolymers (RCPs) can also form micelles and microphase separated domains, but this requires a much higher degree of incompatibility between segments and/or degree of solvent selectivity due to the close proximity and short clusters of the incompatible repeat units. When this criterion is achieved, RCPs can form an even wider range of micelle morphologies (spheres, rods, honeycombs, vesicles, etc.…”

Block Polypeptoids: Synthesis, Characterization, and Response Toward Irradiation with UV Light and Temperature

“…The release process can be easily controlled by irradiation with light of a certain wavelength from outside the body to accurately release the drug at a given time and location, which makes light-responsive assemblies superior and unmatched to other responsive materials, albeit the actual wavelength used for activation plays an important role. Pioneering investigations reported the synthesis and applications of light-responsive polymeric materials, and three mechanisms were proposed: (1) photoisomerization using azobenzenes , and spiropyranes, − (2) photocleavage using o -nitrobenzyl, − coumarin, , or other groups, − and (3) the Wolff rearrangement. , These mechanisms are all sensitive to external photostimulation and exhibit a specific response. However, most of these reports focus on the confirmation of novel concepts, as well as understanding the response mechanism, paying little attention to biocompatibility and biodegradability of the polymeric materials, which may restrict their application in controlled release …”

<p>Ultralow-intensity NIR light triggered on-demand drug release by employing highly emissive UCNP and photocleavable linker with low bond dissociation energy</p>

“…The success of Chemo requires the precise delivery of anticancer drugs to cancerous cells and to avoid the killing of normal cells 1,2. Therefore, various drug releases based on such stimuli as pH,3,4 ultrasonic,5 light,6,7 and glutathione8,9 have been developed. Among these stimuli, light exhibits obvious advantages over the others, which can afford drug release both spatially and temporally, owning to its excellent merits of input intensity and tunable wavelength 10,11.…”