Dual clickable nanospheres (DCNSs) were synthesized in one step using an efficient approach of ultrasonic-assisted azide-alkyne click polymerization, avoiding the need of surfactants. This novel approach presents a direct clickable monomer-to-nanosphere synthesis. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and dynamic laser scattering (DLS) were used to characterize the synthesized DCNSs. Numerous terminal alkynyl and azide groups on the surface of DCNSs facilitate effective conjugation of multiple molecules or ligands onto a single nanocarrier platform under mild conditions. To exemplify the potential of DCNSs in biological applications, (1) multivalent glyconanoparticles (GNPs) were prepared by clicking DCNSs with azide-functionalized and alkyne-functionalized lactose sequentially for the determination of carbohydrate-galectin interactions with quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) biosensor. Using protein chip (purified galectin-3 coated on chip) and cell chip (Jurkat cells immobilized on chip), the QCM sensorgrams showed excellent binding activity of GNPs for galectins; (2) fluorescent GNPs were prepared by clicking DCNSs with azide-functionalized Rhodamine B and alkyne-functionalized lactose sequentially in order to target galectin, which is overexpressed on the surface of Jurkat cells. The fluorescent images obtained clearly showed the cellular internalization of fluorescent GNPs. This fluorescent probe could be easily adapted to drugs to construct lectin-targeted drug delivery systems. Thus, DCNSs prepared with our method may provide a wide range of potential applications in glycobiology and biomedicine.
Keywords: carbohydrate-lectin interactions; cell imaging; click polymerization; clickable nanospheres; surfactant-free; ultrasonic.