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Assembly and Degradation of Low‐Fouling Click‐Functionalized Poly(ethylene glycol)‐Based Multilayer Films and Capsules
Author(s) -
Leung Melissa K. M.,
Such Georgina K.,
Johnston Angus P. R.,
Biswas Dhee P.,
Zhu Zhiyuan,
Yan Yan,
Lutz JeanFrançois,
Caruso Frank
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.201002258
Subject(s) - ethylene glycol , peg ratio , materials science , click chemistry , chemical engineering , polymer chemistry , polymer , biocompatibility , chemistry , organic chemistry , finance , engineering , economics , composite material , metallurgy
Nano‐/micrometer‐scaled films and capsules made of low‐fouling materials such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) are of interest for drug delivery and tissue engineering applications. Herein, the assembly and degradation of low‐fouling, alkyne‐functionalized PEG (PEG Alk ) multilayer films and capsules, which are prepared by combining layer‐by‐layer (LbL) assembly and click chemistry, are reported. A nonlinear, temperature‐responsive PEG Alk is synthesized, and is then used to form hydrogen‐bonded multilayers with poly(methacrylic acid) (PMA) at pH 5. The thermoresponsive behavior of PEG Alk is exploited to tailor film buildup by adjusting the assembly conditions. Using alkyne–azide click chemistry, PEG Alk /PMA multilayers are crosslinked with a bisazide linker that contains a disulfide bond, rendering these films and capsules redox‐responsive. At pH 7, by disrupting the hydrogen bonding between the polymers, PEG Alk LbL films and PEG Alk ‐based capsules are obtained. These films exhibit specific deconstruction properties under simulated intracellular reducing conditions, but remain stable at physiological pH, suggesting potential applications in controlled drug release. The low‐fouling properties of the PEG films are confirmed by incubation with human serum and a blood clot. Additionally, these capsules showed negligible toxicity to human cells.