Telechelic Triblock Poly(α‐Amino Acid)‐Poly(Tetrahydrofuran)‐Poly(α‐Amino Acid) Copolymers: Chain‐End Transformation, Polymerization and pH‐Responsive Hydrolysis^†

Abstract

Main observation and conclusion Block copolymers not only combine properties of different segments but also generate new application prospects. Poly(α‐amino acid)‐b‐poly(tetrahydrofuran)‐b‐poly(α‐amino acid) (PAA‐PTHF‐PAA) is one of the copolymers. In this contribution, di‐hydroxyl‐ended HO‐PTHF‐OH is transferred into di‐oxyamino‐ended H2NO‐PTHF‐ONH2 quantitatively, which is used as a macroinitiator to polymerize sarcosine N‐thiocarboxyanhydride (Sar‐NTA) and N‐phenyoxycarbonyl N‐ε‐carbobenzyloxy‐D‐lysine (ZDL‐NPC). Well‐defined triblock PAA‐NHO‐PTHF‐ONH‐PAA is produced with high molecular weight (up to 25.3 kg/mol) and narrow dispersity. The amphiphilic PSar‐NHO‐PTHF‐ONH‐PSar (STS) self‐assembles into micelles with uniform diameters of 30—40 nm according to DLS. Owing to oxygen amide groups inside the backbone of these copolymers, the polyether‐poly(amino acid)s block copolymers are cleavable under an acidic environment and therefore have potential applications in smart biomedicine and engineering.

Stealth-like polysarcosine-modified nanoparticles with low dye doses and long blood circulation for efficient breast cancer pulmonary metastasis imaging

“…1a, using our previously synthesized NIR-II small molecule TQF–NH 2 as the initiator, 43 a PSar-modified polymer (TQF–PSar) was successfully obtained with four dense and hydrophilic brush arms by ring-opening polymerization of sarcosine- N -thiocarboxyanhydride (Sar-NTA). 44–47 The 1 H-NMR spectrum demonstrated successful polymerization of PSar (Fig. S1†).…”

Self‐Limited Hyperbranching Polymerization of Di‐N‐Phenoxycarbonyl N‐Substituted Diglycines

“…poly‐ N ‐methylglycine, is an ideal biomaterial with excellent water solubility and biocompatibility. [ 25 ] With a secondary amine at chain end after the polymerization of Sar‐NPC (Figure S8, Supporting Information), PSar is active to initiate the branching polymerization of di–NNPC and to produce a star‐like polypeptoid containing PSar arms and hyperbranched PGXG core (PSG 2 , Figure A), by the so‐called arm‐first strategy.…”

Lysine-Sarcosine PiPo Functionalized Surface with Excellent Hemocompatibility

“…That is to say, a neutral or negatively charged surface is helpful to hemocompatibility. Recently, polysarcosine (PSar), also known as poly­( N -methyl glycine), consisting of the residue of sarcosine which is a naturally occurring and abundant nonproteinogenic amino acid, has aroused great interest of researchers for its polypeptide-like structure. − High water solubility and electric neutrality endow PSar with low protein adsorption and cell attachment . Accumulated evidence has proven that PSar shows great potential and superiority in biomaterials compared with PEG. , However, only one research reported low complement activation of PSar .…”