Tailored Synthesis of Intelligent Polymer Nanocapsules: An Investigation of Controlled Permeability and pH-Dependent Degradability

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Xin Huang - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Dietmar Appelhans - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Petr Formanek - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Frank Simon - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Brigitte Voit - , Chair of Organic Chemistry of Polymers, Technische Universität Dresden, Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)

Abstract

In this study, we present a new route to synthesize an intelligent polymer nanocapsule with an ultrathin membrane based on surface-initiated reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization. The key concept of our report is to use pH-responsive polydiethylaminoethylmethacrylate as a main membrane-generating component and a degradable disulfide bond to cross-link the membrane. The permeability of membrane, tuned by adjusting pH and using different lengths of the cross-linkers, was proven by showing a dramatic swelling behavior of the nanocapsules with the longest cross linker from 560 nm at pH 8.0 to 780 nm at pH 4.0. Also due to the disulfide cross linker degradation of the capsules using GSH as reducing agent was achieved which is further significantly promoted at pH 4.0. Using a, rather long-chain dithiol cross-linker, the synthesized nanocapsules demonstrated a good permeability allowing that an enzyme myoglobin can be postencapsulated, where the pH controlled enzyme activity by switching membrane permeability was also shown.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)9718-9726
Number of pages9
JournalACS nano
Volume6
Issue number11
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2012
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 23102500
Scopus 84870395695
ORCID /0000-0002-4531-691X/work/148607870

Keywords

Keywords

  • Degradability, Nanoreactor, pH sensitive, Permeability, Polymer nanocapsules