Dual Stimuli-Responsive Block Copolymers for Controlled Release Triggered by Upconversion Luminescence or Temperature Variation

Yueh-Chi Chung; Chien-Hsin Yang; Rong-Ho Lee; Tzong-Liu Wang

doi:10.1021/acsomega.8b03414

Dual Stimuli-Responsive Block Copolymers for Controlled Release Triggered by Upconversion Luminescence or Temperature Variation

ACS Omega. 2019 Feb 14;4(2):3322-3328. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.8b03414. eCollection 2019 Feb 28.

Authors

Yueh-Chi Chung¹, Chien-Hsin Yang¹, Rong-Ho Lee², Tzong-Liu Wang¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National University of Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung 811, Taiwan, Republic of China.
² Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan, Republic of China.

Abstract

An amphiphilic block copolymer (BCP) which contains both photoresponsive and thermoresponsive blocks was synthesized by the atom transfer radical polymerization approach. Meanwhile, a new core/shell type of the upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP) LiYF₄:Yb³⁺ _0.25,Tm³⁺ _0.01@LiYF₄:Yb³⁺ _0.2 was successfully synthesized. By encapsulating UCNPs inside the micelles of the BCP and incorporating Nile red (NR) into the UCNP@BCP hybrid nanoparticles as a model drug, controlled release of the drug by the dual-stimuli BCP could be studied. After exposing the UCNP-loaded micellar solution to near-infrared (NIR) light, it was found that the UV light pumped from UCNPs could disrupt the polymer micelles and the fluorescence intensity of NR decreased with the increase of the irradiation time of the NIR light. The thermoresponsive study indicated that the fluorescence intensity of NR decreased with the increase of temperature of the micellar solution because of the release of NR into water arising from the contraction of the amphiphilic BCP.