A Photolockable Polyaromatic Capsule Designed via Regiochemical Substitution

Photocontrol over host frameworks is an elegant way to manipulate host-guest composites, yet the majority of previous systems suffer from long irradiation time and narrow guest scope, and are restricted to intramolecular photoreactions in organic solvents. Herein we present a photolockable polyaromatic capsule with high guest binding abilities in water. The capsule assembles from bent amphiphiles featuring two 2-subsutituted anthracene panels, which shows high stability against dilution and undergoes intermolecular [4+4] photo-oligomerization upon short light irradiation (<10 min). The photolocked capsule provides a roughly spherical framework, with an average, core diameter of ~3 nm, composed of amphiphilic oligomers (e. g., trimer). The new capsule shows improved host ability (up to 10-fold) in water toward various hydrophobic compounds (e. g., organic and metal-complex dyes), as compared with an analogous, non-photolockable capsule with 9-subsutituted anthracene panels. In addition, the resultant dye-loaded capsules are also successfully photolocked via short irradiation with high retention of the bound dyes.

One-Pot Synthesis of Affordable Redox-Responsive Drug Delivery System Based on Trithiocyanuric Acid Nanoparticles

Redox-responsive drug delivery systems present a promising avenue for drug delivery due to their ability to leverage the unique redox environment within tumor cells. In this work, we describe a facile and cost-effective one-pot synthesis method for a redox-responsive delivery system based on novel trithiocyanuric acid (TTCA) nanoparticles (NPs). We conduct a thorough investigation of the impact of various synthesis parameters on the morphology, stability, and loading capacity of these NPs. The great drug delivery potential of the system is further demonstrated in vitro and in vivo by using doxorubicin as a model drug. The developed TTCA-PEG NPs show great drug delivery efficiency with minimal toxicity on their own both in vivo and in vitro. The simplicity of this synthesis, along with the promising characteristics of TTCA-PEG NPs, paves the way for new opportunities in the further development of redox-responsive drug delivery systems based on TTCA.

A Review of Multifunction Smart Nanoparticle based Drug Delivery Systems

Cancer nano-therapeutics are rapidly evolving and are often used to overcome a number of concerns with traditional drug delivery methods, including non-specific drug targeting and distribution, low oral bioavailability, and poor hydrophilicity. Modern nano-based targeting techniques have been developed as a result of advances in nano vehicle engineering and materials science, which may bring people with cancer a new hope. Clinical trials have been authorized for a number of medicinal nanocarriers. Nanocarriers with the best feasible size and surface attributes have been developed to optimize biodistribution and increase blood circulation duration. Nanotherapeutics can carry preloaded active medicine towards cancerous cells by preferentially leveraging the specific physiopathology of malignancies. In contrast to passive targeting, active targeting strategies involving antigens or ligands, developed against specific tumor sites, boost the selectivity of these curative nanovehicles. Another barrier that nanoparticles may resolve or lessen is drug resistance. Multifunctional and complex nanoparticles are currently being explored and are predicted to usher in a new era of nanoparticles that will allow for more individualized and customized cancer therapy. The potential prospects and opportunities of stimuli-triggered nanosystems in therapeutic trials are also explored in this review.

Enhanced photo-reactivity of polyanthracene in the VIS region

The wavelength-dependent photo-reactivity of polyanthracene was explored upon UV-C and VIS light irradiation. The material was prepared via one-pot chemical oxidation route using FeCl₃ as oxidizing agent. A decrease in surface hydrophobicity of a polyanthracene-coated poly(methylmethacrylate) substrate from 109.11° to 60.82° was observed upon UV-C exposure for 48 hrs which was attributed to increase in oxygen content at the surface, as validated by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Upon exposure to ultraviolet-visible LEDs, photo-dimerization of polyanthracene in solution occurred and was monitored using UV-VIS spectroscopy. The photo-dimer product formation decreased from 381 nm to 468 nm and was found to be higher for the polyanthracene material compared to the monomer anthracene. At 381 nm, photo-dimerization of the material was found to be approx. 4x more efficient than the non-substituted monomer counterpart. Results obtained show that photo-dimerization of polyanthracene will proceed upon exposure with visible light LEDs with reduction in efficiency at longer wavelengths. To compensate, irradiation power of the light source and irradiation time were increased.

Photo-Controlled [4+4] Cycloaddition of Anthryl-Polymer Systems: A Versatile Approach to Fabricate Functional Materials

The reversible photo-induced [4+4] cycloaddition reaction of anthracene enables multiple cycles of dimerization and scission, allowing phototunable linkage of molecular fragments for the synthesis of polymer scaffolds. New functional materials ranging from hydrogels to shape-memory polymers were designed from anthryl-polymer systems because of their diverse photochemical reactivity and responsiveness. Light as an external stimulus allows for the remote and precise spatiotemporal control of materials without the need for additional reagents. Depending on how the photoreactive anthracene moieties were introduced, the interaction of anthryl-polymer systems with light results in various processes such as polymerization, cyclization, and cross-linking. Structural modifications of anthracene derivatives could shift their absorption from the ultraviolet to the visible light region, widening their range of applications including biologically relevant studies. These applications are further diversified and enhanced by the reversibility of the dimerization reaction using light and heat as stimuli. In this review, current developments in the synthesis and photodimerization of anthracene-containing polymers and their emerging applications in the fabrication of new materials are discussed.

Micellar drug delivery vehicles formed from amphiphilic block copolymers bearing photo-cross-linkable cyclopentenone side groups

UV core cross-linkable amphiphilic block copolymers containing cyclopentenone side groups on the hydrophobic backbone were synthesized and drug delivery experiments were done with the cancer therapeutic drug Doxorubicin.

Mechanically Robust and Recyclable Cross-Linked Fibers from Melt Blown Anthracene-Functionalized Commodity Polymers

Melt blowing combines extrusion of a polymer melt through orifices and attenuation of the extrudate with hot high-velocity air jets to produce nonwoven fibers in a single step. Due to its simplicity and high-throughput nature, melt blowing produces more than 10% of global nonwovens (∼$50 billion market). Semicrystalline thermoplastic feedstock, such as poly(butylene terephthalate), polyethylene, and polypropylene, have dominated the melt blowing industry because of their facile melt processability and thermal/chemical resistance; other amorphous commodity thermoplastics (e.g., styrenics, (meth)acrylates, etc.) are generally not employed because they lack one or both characteristics. Cross-linking commodity polymers could enable them to serve more demanding applications, but cross-linking is not compatible with melt processing, and it must be implemented after fiber formation. Here, cross-linked fibers were fabricated by melt blowing linear anthracene-functionalized acrylic polymers into fibers, which were subsequently cross-linked via anthracene-dimerization triggered by either UV light or sunlight. The resulting fibers possessed nearly 100% gel content because of highly efficient anthracene photodimerization in the solid state. Compared to the linear precursors, the anthracene-dimer cross-linked acrylic fibers exhibited enhanced thermomechanical properties suggesting higher upper service temperatures (∼180 °C), showing promise for replacing traditional thermoplastic-based melt blown nonwovens in certain applications. Additionally, given the dynamic nature of the anthracene-dimer cross-links at elevated temperatures (> ∼180 °C), the resulting cross-linked fibers could be effectively recycled after use, providing new avenues toward sustainable nonwoven products.

Aromatic Nitrogen Mustard-Based Autofluorescent Amphiphilic Brush Copolymer as pH-Responsive Drug Delivery Vehicle

Delivery of clinically approved nonfluorescent drugs is facing challenges because it is difficult to monitor the intracellular drug delivery without incorporating any integrated fluorescence moiety into the drug carrier. The present investigation reports the synthesis of a pH-responsive autofluorescent polymeric nanoscaffold for the administration of nonfluorescent aromatic nitrogen mustard chlorambucil (CBL) drug into the cancer cells. Copolymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) appended styrene and CBL conjugated N-substituted maleimide monomers enables the formation of well-defined luminescent alternating copolymer. These amphiphilic brush copolymers self-organized in aqueous medium into 25-68 nm nanoparticles, where the CBL drug is enclosed into the core of the self-assembled nanoparticles. In vitro studies revealed ∼70% drug was retained under physiological conditions at pH 7.4 and 37 °C. At endolysosomal pH 5.0, 90% of the CBL was released by the pH-induced cleavage of the aliphatic ester linkages connecting CBL to the maleimide unit. Although the nascent nanoparticle (without drug conjugation) is nontoxic, the drug conjugated nanoparticle showed higher toxicity and superior cell killing capability in cervical cancer (HeLa) cells rather than in normal cells. Interestingly, the copolymer without any conventional chromophore exhibited photoluminescence under UV light irradiation due to the presence of "through-space" π-π interaction between the C═O group of maleimide unit and the adjacent benzene ring of the styrenic monomer. This property helped us intracellular tracking of CBL conjugated autofluorescent nanocarriers through fluorescence microscope imaging. Finally, the 4-(4-nitrobenzyl)pyridine (NBP) colorimetric assay was executed to examine the ability of CBL-based polymeric nanomaterials toward alkylation of DNA.

Reversibly core-crosslinked PEG-P(HPMA) micelles: Platinum coordination chemistry for competitive-ligand-regulated drug delivery

HYPOTHESIS

The presence of pendant thioether groups on poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(N(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide) (PEG-P(HPMA)) block copolymers allows for platinum-mediated coordinative micellar core-crosslinking, resulting in enhanced micellar stability and stimulus-responsive drug delivery.

EXPERIMENTS

A new PEG-P(HPMA) based block copolymer with pendant 4-(methylthio)benzoyl (MTB) groups along the P(HPMA) block was synthesized by free radical polymerization of a novel HPMA-MTB monomer using a PEG based macro-initiator. As crosslinker the metal-organic linker [ethylenediamineplatinum(II)]²⁺ was used, herein called Lx, which is a coordinative linker molecule that has been used for the conjugation of drug molecules to a number of synthetic or natural carrier systems such as hyperbranched polymers and antibodies.

FINDINGS

The introduction of Lx in the micellar core results in a smaller size, a lower critical micelle concentration and a better retention of the hydrophobic drug curcumin thanks to coordination bonds between the central platinum atom of Lx and thioether groups on different polymer chains. The drug release from Lx crosslinked micelles is significantly accelerated under conditions mimicking the intracellular environment due to competitive coordination and subsequent micellar de-crosslinking. Because of their straightforward preparation and favorable drug release characteristics, core-crosslinked Lx PEG-P(HPMA) micelles hold promise as a versatile nanomedicine platform.

Shape Memory: An Efficient Method to Develop the Latent Photopatterned Morphology for Elastomer in Two/Three Dimension

Shape memory behavior was applied here as a new approach for developing the latent photopatterned morphologies in two/three dimension (2D/3D) on the modified poly(styrene-block-butadiene-block-styrene) (SBS). By attaching anthracene groups onto the SBS chains, the elastomer frozen in the deformed state was photopatterned via the photodimerization of anthracene. Upon thermal treatment, shape memory process could effectively develop the latent photopatterning induced 2D-2D and 2D-3D shape transformation. Due to the reversible dimerization of anthracene, the photoinduced patterns and the shape conformation could be erased and redeveloped for multiple times.

Molecular Recognition Under Interfacial Conditions: Calix[4]pyrrole-Based Cross-linkable Micelles for Ion Pair Extraction

An anthracene-functionalized, long-tailed calix[4]pyrrole 1, containing both an anion-recognition site and cation-recognition functionality, has been synthesized and fully characterized. Upon ion pair complexation with FeF₂, receptor 1 self-assembles into multimicelles in aqueous media. This aggregation process is ascribed to a change in polarity from nonpolar to amphiphilic induced upon concurrent anion and cation complexation and permits molecular recognition-based control over chemical morphology under interfacial conditions. Photoirradiation of the micelles serves to cross-link the anthracene units thus stabilizing the aggregates. The combination of ion pair recognition, micelle formation, and cross-linking can be used to extract FeF₂ ion pairs from bulk aqueous solutions. The present work helps illustrate how molecular recognition and self-assembly may be used to control the chemistry of extractants at interfaces.

Physico-Chemical Strategies to Enhance Stability and Drug Retention of Polymeric Micelles for Tumor-Targeted Drug Delivery

Polymeric micelles (PM) have been extensively used for tumor-targeted delivery of hydrophobic anti-cancer drugs. The lipophilic core of PM is naturally suitable for loading hydrophobic drugs and the hydrophilic shell endows them with colloidal stability and stealth properties. Decades of research on PM have resulted in tremendous numbers of PM-forming amphiphilic polymers, and approximately a dozen micellar nanomedicines have entered the clinic. The first generation of PM can be considered solubilizers of hydrophobic drugs, with short circulation times resulting from poor micelle stability and unstable drug entrapment. To more optimally exploit the potential of PM for targeted drug delivery, several physical (e.g., π-π stacking, stereocomplexation, hydrogen bonding, host-guest complexation, and coordination interaction) and chemical (e.g., free radical polymerization, click chemistry, disulfide and hydrazone bonding) strategies have been developed to improve micelle stability and drug retention. In this review, the most promising physico-chemical approaches to enhance micelle stability and drug retention are described, and how these strategies have resulted in systems with promising therapeutic efficacy in animal models, paving the way for clinical translation, is summarized.

Self-Reporting Degradable Fluorescent Grafted Copolymer Micelles Derived from Biorenewable Resources

A series of hydrolytically degradable fluorescent poly(ferulic acid-co-tyrosine)-g-mPEG graft copolymers were synthesized and shown to undergo self-assembly in aqueous media to yield fluorescent micelles. The polymers and their micellar assemblies exhibited greater fluorescence emission intensity than did their small molecular building blocks, which provides a self-reporting character that has potential for monitoring the polymer integrity and also for performing in theranostics applications. The amphiphilic graft-copolymers were synthesized by Cu-assisted azide-alkyne "click" addition of azido-functionalized mPEG polymers onto fluorescent degradable hydrophobic copolymers displaying randomly distributed alkyne side-chain groups along their biorenewably derived poly(ferulic acid-co-tyrosine) backbones. The morphologies and photophysical properties of the supramolecular assemblies generated in aqueous solutions were evaluated by DLS, TEM, AFM, and steady-state optical spectroscopies. The 15-30 nm sized micelles behaved as broad-band emitters in the 350-600 nm range, which highlights their potential as self-reporting nanomaterials for in vitro studies.

Photodimerization as an alternative to photocrosslinking of nanoparticles: proof of concept with amphiphilic linear polyoxazoline bearing coumarin unit

The photo-dimerization of the coumarinated inner compartment of the nanoparticles is investigated.