Hyaluronan-based graft copolymers bearing aggregation-induced emission fluorogens

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Hyaluronan (HA) is a natural polysaccharide with biocompatible properties.
• Ferulic acid (FA) is a natural compound with interesting optical properties.
• Developing novel functionalized HA-based materials is crucial for advanced applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize novel hyaluronan copolymers grafted with propargylated ferulic acid (HA-FA-Pg).
• To investigate the optical properties and self-assembly capabilities of these new HA-based materials.
• To explore the potential of these materials for biomedical applications.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of HA-FA-Pg copolymers with varying grafting degrees.
• Characterization of optical properties, including photoluminescence quantum yield.
• Functionalization with oleic acid via a nona(ethylene glycol) spacer to create HA-FA-NEG-OA materials.
• Assessment of self-assembly in aqueous environments and interaction with phospholipid bilayers.

Main Results:

• HA-FA-Pg copolymers exhibited higher photoluminescence quantum yield compared to isolated ferulic acid due to restricted intramolecular motion.
• The resulting HA-FA-NEG-OA materials demonstrated self-assembling capabilities in water.
• These derivatives interacted with phospholipid bilayers in liposomes and cells, retaining fluorescence.
• High cytocompatibility was observed for the HA-FA-NEG-OA derivatives.

Conclusions:

• The developed HA-FA-Pg copolymers represent a promising technology platform based on biorenewable resources.
• The synthesized HA-FA-NEG-OA materials show potential as biocompatible self-assembled aggregates for biomedical applications.
• This work highlights the successful integration of natural compounds for advanced functional materials.