Premium
Bioinspired Block Copolymers: Translating Structural Features from Proteins to Synthetic Polymers
Author(s) -
Laschewsky André,
Marsat JeanNoël,
Skrabania Katja,
von Berlepsch Hans,
Böttcher Christoph
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
macromolecular chemistry and physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.57
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1521-3935
pISSN - 1022-1352
DOI - 10.1002/macp.200900378
Subject(s) - copolymer , micelle , polymer , acrylate , polymer chemistry , chemistry , acrylic acid , amphiphile , aqueous solution , ternary operation , materials science , chemical engineering , organic chemistry , computer science , engineering , programming language
Abstract In order to mimic a key functional feature of the transport protein serum albumin that disposes of several different simultaneous binding sites, new ternary linear block copolymers were synthesized. The block copolymers are made of one non‐ionic hydrophilic block based on derivatives of poly(oligoethyleneglycol), and of two mutually immiscible hydrophobic poly(acrylate) blocks, based on hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon esters of acrylic acid, respectively. The polymers self‐organize in aqueous solution to micellar aggregates, which undergo microphase separation within the hydrophobic micellar core. The different aggregate structures were imaged by transmission electron cryo‐microscopy (cryo‐TEM). Depending on the detailed polymer architecture, either core‐shell‐corona micelles, or micelles with a true multicompartment structure were formed, that are capable of selective solubilization.