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Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Anionic Polymerization of an Amphiphilic Copolymer for Preparation of Block Copolymer Micelles Stabilized by π-π Stacking Interactions
Published on: October 10, 2016
Structure-property relationship in cytotoxicity and cell uptake of poly(2-oxazoline) amphiphiles
Robert Luxenhofer1, Gaurav Sahay, Anita Schulz
1WACKER-Lehrstuhl für Makromolekulare Stoffe, Department Chemie, Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstr. 4, 85747 Garching, Germany. robert.luxenhofer@chemie.tu-dresden.de
Abstract:
The family of poly(2-oxazoline)s (POx) is being increasingly investigated in the context of biomedical applications. We tested the relative cytotoxicity of POx and were able to confirm that these polymers are typically not cytotoxic even at high concentrations. Furthermore, we report structure-uptake relationships of a series of amphiphilic POx block copolymers that have different architectures, molar mass and chain termini. The rate of endocytosis can be fine-tuned over a broad range by changing the polymer structure. The cellular uptake increases with the hydrophobic character of the polymers and is observed even at nanomolar concentrations. Considering the structural versatility of this class of polymers, the relative ease of preparation and their stability underlines the potential of POx as a promising platform candidate for the preparation of next-generation polymer therapeutics.
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