Functionalization of Water-Soluble Conjugated Polymers for Bioapplications

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Bioconjugation
• Materials Science

Background:

• Water-soluble conjugated polymers (WS-CPs) are versatile for bioapplications like sensing and phototherapy.
• Target interaction requires modifying WS-CPs with specific molecular functional units (e.g., proteins, nucleic acids).
• Existing modifications include covalent linkage of sugars, peptides, and other biorecognition elements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively review synthetic chemistries for covalently linking biofunctional groups to WS-CP platforms.
• To highlight different WS-CP backbones used in biofunctionalization.
• To discuss example applications and future challenges in the field.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on synthetic strategies for biofunctionalizing WS-CPs.
• Categorization of chemistries including amidation, nucleophilic substitution, Click reactions, and conjugate addition.
• Analysis of various WS-CP backbones such as poly(fluorene) and polythiophene.

Main Results:

• Detailed overview of synthetic routes for creating biofunctionalized WS-CPs.
• Examples of WS-CPs functionalized with diverse biorecognition elements.
• Demonstration of applications in protein sensing, flow cytometry, and cancer therapy.

Conclusions:

• Covalent modification of WS-CPs with biofunctional groups is essential for advanced biomedical applications.
• A range of synthetic chemistries and polymer backbones are available for tailoring WS-CPs.
• Further development is needed to overcome challenges and expand the utility of functionalized conjugated polymers.