Streamlined Formation and Manipulation of Charged Polymersomes

• Published in: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Vol. 20; no. 40; pp. e2310202 - n/a
• Main Authors: Lai, Rebecca Y., Wong, Chin Ken, Stenzel, Martina H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.10.2024
• Subjects: block copolymer; Block copolymers; Charge materials; charged polymers; polymer vesicles; polymersomes; Self-assembly; block copolymer; polymer vesicles; charged polymers; polymersomes; self‐assembly
• ISSN: 1613-6810; 1613-6829; 1613-6829
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.202310202

Charged polymersomes are attractive for advanced material applications due to their versatile encapsulation capabilities and charge‐induced functionality. Although desirable, the pH‐sensitivity of charged block copolymers adds complexity to its self‐assembly process, making it challenging to produce charged polymersomes in a reliable manner. In this work, a flow approach to control and strike a delicate balance between solvent composition and pH for self‐assembly is used. This allows for the identification of a phase window to reliably produce of charged polymersomes. The utility of this approach to streamline downstream processes, such as morphological transformation or in‐line purification is further demonstrated. As proof‐of‐concept, it is shown that the processed polymersomes can be used for surface modifications facilitated by charge complexation. Charged polymersomes are attractive for use as nanocarriers in various applications. Yet, producing them reliably is a challenge due to their sensitivity to minute changes in pH. This work demonstrates an in‐line method to produce charged polymersomes in a highly reproducible manner. Further described in this work are methods to streamline the transformation and purification of charged polymersomes.