"Clickable" Polymer Brush Interfaces: Tailoring Monovalent to Multivalent Ligand Display for Protein Immobilization and Sensing

Bioconjug Chem. 2022 Sep 21;33(9):1672-1684. doi: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.2c00298. Epub 2022 Aug 22.

Abstract

Facile and effective functionalization of the interface of polymer-coated surfaces allows one to dictate the interaction of the underlying material with the chemical and biological analytes in its environment. Herein, we outline a modular approach that would enable installing a variety of "clickable" handles onto the surface of polymer brushes, enabling facile conjugation of various ligands to obtain functional interfaces. To this end, hydrophilic anti-biofouling poly(ethylene glycol)-based polymer brushes are fabricated on glass-like silicon oxide surfaces using reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The dithioester group at the chain-end of the polymer brushes enabled the installation of azide, maleimide, and terminal alkene functional groups, using a post-polymerization radical exchange reaction with appropriately functionalized azo-containing molecules. Thus, modified polymer brushes underwent facile conjugation of alkyne or thiol-containing dyes and ligands using alkyne-azide cycloaddition, Michael addition, and radical thiol-ene conjugation, respectively. Moreover, we demonstrate that the radical exchange approach also enables the installation of multivalent motifs using dendritic azo-containing molecules. Terminal alkene groups containing dendrons amenable to functionalization with thiol-containing molecules using the radical thiol-ene reaction were installed at the interface and subsequently functionalized with mannose ligands to enable sensing of the Concanavalin A lectin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alkenes
  • Alkynes / chemistry
  • Azides / chemistry
  • Coloring Agents
  • Concanavalin A
  • Dendrimers*
  • Ligands
  • Maleimides
  • Mannose
  • Polyethylene Glycols / chemistry
  • Polymers* / chemistry
  • Silicon Dioxide
  • Sulfhydryl Compounds / chemistry

Substances

  • Alkenes
  • Alkynes
  • Azides
  • Coloring Agents
  • Dendrimers
  • Ligands
  • Maleimides
  • Polymers
  • Sulfhydryl Compounds
  • Concanavalin A
  • Polyethylene Glycols
  • Silicon Dioxide
  • Mannose