Self-Assembling Amphiphilic Hyperbranched Polyglycerol-Polystyrene Copolymers for Encapsulation

Abstract

Phospholipids, dendrimers, and polymers are each able to assemble to form vesicles, but each has limitations such as leakiness and multistep syntheses. A new class of versatile amphiphilic block copolymers is reported containing hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG) and polystyrene (PS) units. These compounds self-assemble into polymersomes (HPGsomes). Under solvent exchange methods, amphiphilic polystyrene-HPG diblock (PS-b -HPG) structures are self-assembled and characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The assemblies are robust up to 95 °C in polar, protic solvents, and encapsulate dyes with minimal release. Polymersomes are typically assembled from linear amphiphilic polymers; however, it is shown that combining linear and hyperbranched polymers is a feasible strategy to encapsulation.

Advances in functionalization and conjugation mechanisms of dendrimers with iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles

“…for biological-related applications, 123,124 and heavy metals and dyes for water remediation purposes. [125][126][127] The conjugation 14,107,[111][112][113][114] between PG with MNPs can be done either by growing PG from MNPs through glycidol polymerization 40,41,125,128,129 or stabilizing the MNPs by grafting the polymerized dendron onto their surface. 12,22 The grafting-from process starts with the initial coating of MNPs with anchoring groups that allow the linkage between the hydroxyl group of glycidol and the anchored groups on the MNPs' surface.…”

Host–guest binding motifs based on hyperbranched polymers

“…Different from traditional micelles, reverse micelles have adverse composition with a hydrophilic core and a hydrophobic shell. HPEI, 13,[31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39] hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG), [40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47] hyperbranched D-glucan, 48 hyperbranched poly(sulfone-amine)s, [49][50][51] hyperbranched poly(ester amide) 52 and hyperbranched poly(amidoamine)s (HPAMAMs) 49,[53][54][55] are the typical HBPs used to prepare the hydrophilic cores of reverse micelles (Fig. 1).…”

Synthesis of Well‐Defined Block Copolymers of Hyperbranched Polyamide and Polystyrene and Their Micelle‐to‐Vesicle Transformation in Organic Solvents

“…On the other hand, block copolymers containing hyperbranched polymer [5,[23][24][25][26] are considerably easier to synthesize than block copolymers including dendron, and the selfassembled structures are dependent on the composition ratio of copolymers and the degree of branching (DB). [27][28][29][30][31][32][33] For example, Zimmerman and coworkers have reported that the self-assembly of diblock copolymer consisting of PSt and hyperbranched polyglycerol with different composition ratios afforded spherical structures (vesicles or micelles) and vesicles. [27] Frey and coworkers observed spherical micelles, rod-like aggregates, and unusual rod-like aggregates with small twisted structures upon the self-assembly of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-[poly(allyl glycidyl ether) grafted with hyperbranched poly(carbosilane)s], depending on the length of the hyperbranched polymer segment.…”

“…[27][28][29][30][31][32][33] For example, Zimmerman and coworkers have reported that the self-assembly of diblock copolymer consisting of PSt and hyperbranched polyglycerol with different composition ratios afforded spherical structures (vesicles or micelles) and vesicles. [27] Frey and coworkers observed spherical micelles, rod-like aggregates, and unusual rod-like aggregates with small twisted structures upon the self-assembly of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-[poly(allyl glycidyl ether) grafted with hyperbranched poly(carbosilane)s], depending on the length of the hyperbranched polymer segment. [28] Yan and coworkers investigated the self-assembly of multiarm copolymers consisting of a hyperbranched poly(3-ethyl-3-(hydroxymethyl)oxetane) (PEHO) core and many linear polyethylene oxide (PEO) arms, PEHO-star-PEO, and found that the structure changed from vesicles to worm-like micelles to spherical micelles upon adjustment of the DB of the PEHO core.…”