pH-Responsive Vesicles with Tunable Membrane Permeability and Hydrodynamic Diameters from a Cross-Linkable Amphiphilic Block Copolymer
Author(s) -
Ruixue Chang,
Yuelan Tian,
Yong Wang,
Jianglei Qin
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
nanomaterials and nanotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.412
H-Index - 21
ISSN - 1847-9804
DOI - 10.5772/62151
Subject(s) - copolymer , glycidyl methacrylate , amphiphile , vesicle , materials science , methacrylate , polymer chemistry , solvent , amine gas treating , protonation , membrane , chemical engineering , permeability (electromagnetism) , chemistry , organic chemistry , polymer , composite material , biochemistry , engineering , ion
A series of cross-linked, pH responsive vesicles with tunable diameters were prepared by self-assembly of poly (ethyleneoxide)-b-poly [2-(diethylamino) ethyl methacry‐ late-co-glycidyl methacrylate,PEO-b-P(DEA-co-GMA)] in a THF/water mixture. The copolymers were synthesized by the random copolymerization of DEA and GMA, initiated by PEO-Br. With an epoxy group and a tertiary amine in its structure, self-catalysed cross-linking was triggered easily by mild heating. The vesicles showed pH responsiveness as characterized by DLS, and tunable permeability can be understood accordingly. As the pH of the solvent changed from 9.8 to 7.4, the diameters of the vesicles increased. It was observed that the diameters at pH = 6.0 were compa‐ rable to those at pH = 7.4. This alteration may have occurred because of the protonation of the PDEA segment. This particular property has great potential and many applica‐ tions, since most drug-loading and controlled-release studies are conducted within this pH range
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