SWCNT PEG-eggs: Single-walled carbon nanotubes in biocompatible shell-crosslinked micelles

Synthesis of Hemoglobin Conjugated Polymeric Micelle: A ZnPc Carrier with Oxygen Self-Compensating Ability for Photodynamic Therapy

“…37 The water-soluble mPEG chains served as hydrophilic corona, the PS chains formed the hydrophobic core, and the PAA segments were considered to be in the shell phase due to the partial ionization of carboxyl groups in relatively basic environment (pH = 7.4).…”

Stabilisation of Carbon Nanotube Suspensions

“…25 These ϐindings are further conϐirmed by spin probe electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) data, suggesting that the formation of micelles in the presence of an SWCNT-polymer hybrid is suppressed and the composite nanostructure dominates the system. 26 A similar approach to the stabilisation of CNTs in an aqueous environment was applied by Wang et al, 24 who used the triblock copolymer poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(acrylic acid)-poly(styrene) (PEG-PAA-PS) ( Fig. 1.5a).…”

“…1.6. 24,29 Non-covalent modiϐication of CNTs is also achieved by zwitterionic interaction between the carboxylic groups present on the surface of oxidised nanotubes and a polycationic polymer; this type of interaction is pH dependent, and such a characteristic could have important applications in drug delivery and CNT puriϐication. 30 Zwitterionic interactions between the double-hydrophilic block copolymer poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly [3-(N peaks of the protons next to the amino groups are shifted downϐield.…”

“…This is a very promising advance towards the development of novel systems for drug delivery, gene transfection, in vivo imaging and targeted thermoablation. 24 The major advantage offered by the use of self-assembling block copolymers is that covalent modiϐication of CNTs' sidewalls, which introduces defects, reduces the strength of the nanotubes and induces a perturbation of their electronic structure, is not required. 32…”

“…These consist of three polymeric blocks, poly(ethylene oxide) x -poly(propylene oxide) y -poly(ethylene oxide) z (PEO-PPO-PEO), with the central block being the hydrophobic one, forming the core of the micelle, and the PEO being the hydrophilic block, forming a hydrated micellar corona responsible for the biocompatibility of the polymers and the prolonged in vivo circulation time of these systems. 24 Efϐicient use of pluronics in the preparation of stable suspensions of individual SWCNTs and MWCNTs was shown by TEM images. This was found to be true also for polymer solutions of concentrations lower than the critical micellar concentration (CMC) and at temperatures below the critical micellar temperature (CMT); in fact it was found that the presence of SWCNTs affected the value of the polymer CMT, suggesting that a new type of hybrid between CNTs and pluronics is formed.…”