Poly[N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide] nanogels by RAFT polymerization in inverse emulsion
Journal article, 2014

Inverse emulsion reversible addition - fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization has been used to generate N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) based nanoparticles and reduction-sensitive nanogels with diameters of 100-200 nm. Inverse emulsion RAFT homopolymerization of HPMA afforded nanoparticles composed of linear PHPMA macromolecules with relatively narrow molecular weight distributions (Mw/Mn = 1.35-1.55). Copolymerization of HPMA with N,N′-bis(acryloyl)cystamine (BAC) at BAC to chain transfer agent ratios >1.5 resulted in crosslinked nanoparticles that could be isolated and redispersed in water. At smaller BAC to chain transfer agent ratios, non-crosslinked nanoparticles composed of (hyper)branched poly(N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide-co-N,N′-bis(acryloyl)cystamine) copolymers were obtained. Addition of protein to the aqueous phase during the inverse emulsion copolymerization of HPMA and BAC allowed preparation of stimuli-responsive, protein-loaded nanogels, which were shown to release their payload under reductive conditions, e.g. upon exposure to tris(2-carboxyethyl) phosphine hydrochloride. These reduction-sensitive nanogels are of interest, e.g. as carriers for the delivery of proteins. © 2014 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Author

Harald Wutzel

Chalmers, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Polymer Technology

F.H. Richter

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL)

Y. Li

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

S.S. Sheiko

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

H.A. Klok

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL)

Polymer Chemistry

1759-9954 (ISSN) 1759-9962 (eISSN)

Vol. 5 5 1711-1719

Subject Categories

Nano Technology

DOI

10.1039/c3py01280h

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Latest update

5/3/2018 1