In this study, we report the light-triggered disassembly of gold nanovesicles (GVs) from amphiphilic photo-responsive block copolymer (polystyrene-b-polyethylene glycol, PS–C4–PEG) tethered gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) for controlled drug release. Amphiphilic photo-responsive PS–C4–PEG, with the group of truxillic acid at the junction of the two blocks, is prepared and grafted on the surface of Au NPs. GVs with tunable size and structures can be generated by self-assembly of the PS–C4–PEG tethered Au NPs in a selective solvent. Drugs can be effectively encapsulated into the cavity of the GVs during the self-assembly process. Moreover, under UV light irradiation, the PS–C4–PEG on the Au NPs can be decomposed, resulting in the formation of defects on the surface of the GVs, and sustainable drug release can thus be achieved. More interestingly, the entire contour of the GVs remains after UV light irradiation due to the slow debonding of truxillic acid, which is important for combined chemo- and photothermal-therapies. With these features, the obtained GVs can be used as a multifunctional platform for cancer diagnosis, bioimaging, and combined therapies.

中文翻译：

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光触发的光响应性金纳米囊泡的拆卸可控药物释放

在这项研究中，我们报告了光引发的两亲性光响应嵌段共聚物（聚苯乙烯-b-聚乙二醇，PS–C4–PEG）束缚金纳米颗粒（Au NPs），用于控制药物释放。制备两亲光响应性PS–C4–PEG，在两个嵌段的交界处有戊二酸基团，并将其接枝在Au NP的表面上。具有大小和结构可调的GV可以通过在选择性溶剂中自组装PS–C4–PEG连接的Au NP来生成。在自组装过程中，药物可以有效地封装到GV的腔中。此外，在紫外线照射下，金纳米颗粒上的PS–C4–PEG可能会分解，从而导致GV表面上形成缺陷，从而实现药物的可持续释放。更有趣的是，由于戊二酸的缓慢脱键，在紫外线照射后，GV的整个轮廓得以保留，这对于化学和光热疗法的联合使用非常重要。具有这些功能，获得的GV可用作癌症诊断，生物成像和联合疗法的多功能平台。