CO2-switchable fluorescence of a dendritic polymer and its applications

Nanoscale. 2016 Jan 14;8(2):1140-6. doi: 10.1039/c5nr06729d.

Abstract

The synthesis and properties of CO2 responsive and fluorescent dendritic polymers, poly(amido amine)/Pluronic F127 (PAMAM/F127), are reported in this paper. The morphologies and sizes of PAMAM/F127 dendritic polymers were investigated by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). PAMAM/F127 dendritic polymers showed unimolecular micelle morphologies at low concentrations, and changed to multimolecular micelles at higher concentrations. Additionally, fluorescence spectra and confocal laser scanning microscopy images showed that PAMAM/F127 dendritic polymers exhibited a fluorescent enhancement response to the presence of CO2. Apart from that, the release behavior of PAMAM/F127 gels under simulated body fluids was investigated by choosing curcumin as the hydrophobic drug. The results indicated that PAMAM/F127 dendritic polymers can be used to improve the solubility of curcumin, and the drug released faster in the presence of CO2. Such CO2 responsive fluorescent dendritic polymers are potentially applicable in cellular imaging or drug controlled release.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carbon Dioxide / chemistry*
  • Curcumin / chemistry
  • Dendrimers / chemistry
  • Drug Delivery Systems
  • Drug Liberation
  • Humans
  • Light
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Micelles
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Poloxamer / chemistry*
  • Scattering, Radiation
  • Solubility
  • Spectrometry, Fluorescence
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
  • Temperature

Substances

  • Dendrimers
  • Micelles
  • PAMAM Starburst
  • Poloxamer
  • Carbon Dioxide
  • Curcumin