A dual stimuli-responsive amphiphilic polymer: reversible self-assembly and rate-controlled drug release

• Published in: Colloid and polymer science Vol. 295; no. 10; pp. 1851 - 1861
• Main Authors: Ke, Kang, Du, Zhukang, Chang, Xueyi, Ren, Biye
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.10.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aqueous solutions; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemical synthesis; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Complex Fluids and Microfluidics; Copolymers; Dismantling; Drug delivery systems; Esterification; Ethylene glycol; Food Science; Functional groups; Light irradiation; Micelles; Nanotechnology and Microengineering; Original Contribution; Oxidation; Physical Chemistry; Polymer Sciences; Polymers; Self-assembly; Soft and Granular Matter; Stimuli; Drug release; Multi-stimuli response; Functionalized PEG; Rate controlled; Amphiphilic polymer
• ISSN: 0303-402X; 1435-1536
• DOI: 10.1007/s00396-017-4156-z

We report the dual stimuli-responsive self-assembly and rate-controlled drug release of a novel functionalized PEG amphiphilic polymer ( FcC 11 AzoPEG ) in aqueous solution. The novel FcC 11 AzoPEG amphiphilic polymer was synthesized by the esterification reaction of poly (ethylene glycol) methyl ether (PEG) and 4-(4′-(11-ferrocenyl-undecanoxy)) azobenzoic acid. The azobenzene (Azo) and ferrocene (Fc) moieties respectively afford the polymer a slow photo-response and a fast redox-response. Upon exposure to different stimuli (light irradiation, redox reaction, and a combination of light irradiation and redox reaction), FcC 11 AzoPEG in aqueous solution can reversibly self-assemble into various nanostructures and also disassemble either slowly by light irradiation or fast by redox reaction in an appropriate concentration range. Moreover, the drug release from the drug-loaded micelles can be precisely controlled by different stimuli: a slow release rate and a small amount of release for UV irradiation, a fast rate and a medium amount of release for oxidation by Fe 2 (SO 4 ) 3 , and a large amount of release for the combined stimulation of UV irradiation and oxidation by Fe 2 (SO 4 ) 3. This work not only demonstrates the effect of stimuli-induced amphiphilicity change of functional groups on the solution aggregation behavior of functionalized PEG amphiphilic polymers but also provides a useful smart system with great potential application in drug delivery. Graphical abstract ᅟ