Synthesis and characterization of light-responsive biodegradable tubular polymersomes

Yanyan Zhu; Zhezhe Li; Suzhen Wang; Jian Gu; Rui L. Reis; Hailong Che

doi:10.1039/D3PY01396K

Synthesis and characterization of light-responsive biodegradable tubular polymersomes†

Yanyan Zhu,^a Zhezhe Li,^a Suzhen Wang,^a Jian Gu,^a Rui L. Reis^bc and Hailong Che

*^a

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* Corresponding authors

^a Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
E-mail: hche@shu.edu.cn

^b 3B's Research Group, I3Bs – Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal

^c ICVS/3B's, Associate PT Government Laboratory, 4710-057 Braga/4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal

Abstract

Stimuli-responsive polymersomes have been explored extensively as drug nanocarriers, nanoreactors, and artificial cells and organelles. However, the morphology of stimuli-responsive polymersomes has mainly been limited to spherical vesicles. In this work, we have reported the first example of biodegradable light-responsive tubular polymersomes based on the hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and hydrophobic poly(trimethylene carbonate-azobenzene) [P(TMC-AZO)] amphiphilic diblock copolymer. The block copolymer PEG-b-P(TMC-AZO)_n was prepared via postpolymerization functionalization of poly(TMC-OC₆F₅) with AZO-amine. Light-responsive AZO-containing tubular polymersomes were obtained by optimizing the polymerization degree, water content, and ionic strength. The tubular polymersomes demonstrated photo-responsive behavior upon UV/Vis light irradiation, and the tubular structures were transformed to linear micelles upon light stimulation. These biodegradable tubular polymersomes are expected to have potential applications in nanomedicine, bio-inspired systems and responsive smart materials.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D3PY01396K
Article type: Paper
Submitted: 20 Dec 2023
Accepted: 04 Feb 2024
First published: 06 Feb 2024

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Polym. Chem., 2024,15, 1026-1033

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Synthesis and characterization of light-responsive biodegradable tubular polymersomes

Y. Zhu, Z. Li, S. Wang, J. Gu, R. L. Reis and H. Che, Polym. Chem., 2024, 15, 1026 DOI: 10.1039/D3PY01396K

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Polymer Chemistry

Synthesis and characterization of light-responsive biodegradable tubular polymersomes†

Abstract

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Synthesis and characterization of light-responsive biodegradable tubular polymersomes

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