A block copolymer for functionalisation of polymersome surfaces

A block copolymer was designed to functionalise the surface of polystyrene-based polymersomes via coaggregation. An α,ω- diacetylene-functionalised poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) was coupled to an azide-terminated polystyrene via a Cu(I)-catalysed cycloaddition to produce a PS-b-PEG polymer with an ace...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Dongen, SFM van, Nallani, M, Schoffelen, S, Cornelissen, Jeroen JLM, Nolte, RJM Roeland, Hest, JCM Jan van
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2008
Subjects:
Online Access:http://repository.tue.nl/882296
Description
Summary:A block copolymer was designed to functionalise the surface of polystyrene-based polymersomes via coaggregation. An α,ω- diacetylene-functionalised poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) was coupled to an azide-terminated polystyrene via a Cu(I)-catalysed cycloaddition to produce a PS-b-PEG polymer with an acetylene at its hydrophilic extremity. Incorporation of this 'anchor' compound in the bilayer of a polymersome places its bio-orthogonal group at the surface of this aggregate. Its accessibility was demonstrated using an azidofunctionalised Candida antarctica Lipase B (CalB), which retained its activity while immobilised on the polymersome.