First multi-reactive polysaccharide-based transurf to produce potentially biocompatible dextran-covered nanocapsules

Laura Marcela Forero Ramirez; Jérôme Babin; Ariane Boudier; Caroline Gaucher; Marc Schmutz; Mériem Er-Rafik; Alain Durand; Jean-Luc Six; Cécile Nouvel

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.115153

First multi-reactive polysaccharide-based transurf to produce potentially biocompatible dextran-covered nanocapsules

Carbohydr Polym. 2019 Nov 15:224:115153. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.115153. Epub 2019 Aug 1.

Authors

Laura Marcela Forero Ramirez¹, Jérôme Babin¹, Ariane Boudier², Caroline Gaucher², Marc Schmutz³, Mériem Er-Rafik³, Alain Durand¹, Jean-Luc Six¹, Cécile Nouvel⁴

Affiliations

¹ Université de Lorraine, CNRS, LCPM, F-54000, Nancy, France.
² Université de Lorraine, Cithefor EA 3452, Nancy, F-54001, France.
³ Université de Strasbourg-CNRS- Institut Charles Sadron UPR22, Strasbourg, France.
⁴ Université de Lorraine, CNRS, LCPM, F-54000, Nancy, France. Electronic address: cecile.nouvel@univ-lorraine.fr.

PMID: 31472862
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.115153

Abstract

A multi-reactive polysaccharide-based transurf (acting both as macro-Chain Transfer Agent and stabilizer) was used to confine RAFT polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) at the oil/water (o/w) miniemulsion interface. Dithiobenzoate groups and hydrophobic aliphatic side chains were introduced onto dextran, conferring it both transfer agent properties and ability to stabilize direct miniemulsion of MMA in the presence of a biocompatible oil, used as co-stabilizer. Because of their amphiphilic character, transurfs were initially adsorbed at the (o/w) interface and their reactive sites mediated RAFT polymerization via the R-group approach. PMMA-grafted dextran glycopolymers were consequently produced at the o/w interface, thus leading to dextran coverage/PMMA shell/oily core nanocapsules (NCs) as evidenced by Cryo-TEM analyses. The influence of dextran-based transurf chemistry and oil amount on MMA RAFT polymerization control was investigated. Positive preliminary results on NCs cytotoxicity suggest the potential of these objects for biomedical applications.

Keywords: Miniemulsion; Nanocapsules; Poly(methyl methacrylate); Polysaccharide; Reversible Addition-Fragmentation chain Transfer (RAFT) polymerization; Transurf.