Amphiphilic Imbalance and Stabilization of Block Copolymer Micelles on-Demand through Combinational Photo-Cleavage and Photo-Crosslinking

Macromol Rapid Commun. 2017 Jan;38(1). doi: 10.1002/marc.201600543. Epub 2016 Nov 4.

Abstract

An amphiphilic block copolymer of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly((N-methacryloxy phthalimide)-co-(7-(4-vinyl-benzyloxyl)-4-methylcoumarin)) (PEO45 -b-P(MAPI36 -co-VBC4 )) is designed to improve the micellar stability during the photo-triggered release of hydrophobic cargoes. Analysis of absorption and emission spectra, solution transmittance, dynamic light scattering, and transmission electron microscopy supports that polymer micelles of PEO45 -b-P(MAPI36 -co-VBC4 ) upon the combinational irradiation of 365 and 254 nm light can be solubilized through the photolysis of phthalimide esters and simultaneously crosslinked via the partially reversible photo-dimerization of coumarins. The photo-triggered release experiment shows that the leakage of doxorubicin molecules from crosslinked micelles can be predictably regulated by controlling the irradiation time of 365 and 254 nm light.

Keywords: amphiphilic imbalance; micellar stability; photo-crosslinking; photolysis; polymer micelles.

MeSH terms

  • Cross-Linking Reagents / chemistry*
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Micelles
  • Molecular Structure
  • Particle Size
  • Photochemical Processes
  • Polymers / chemical synthesis
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • Surface Properties
  • Surface-Active Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Surface-Active Agents / chemistry*

Substances

  • Cross-Linking Reagents
  • Micelles
  • Polymers
  • Surface-Active Agents