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Updated: Sep 21, 2025

Self-assembling Morphologies Obtained from Helical Polycarbodiimide Copolymers and Their Triazole Derivatives
Published on: February 7, 2017
Emerging Nanoassembly of Polyrotaxanes Comprising Acetylated α-Cyclodextrins and High-Molecular-Weight Axle Polymer
Asato Tonegawa1, Atsushi Tamura1, Nobuhiko Yui1
1Department of Organic Biomaterials, Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), 2-3-10 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda, Tokyo 101-0062, Japan.
Abstract:
Acetylated α-cyclodextrin (α-CD)/poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based polyrotaxanes (Ac-PRXs) with varying degrees of acetylation (DA) and molecular weight of axle PEG were synthesized and their solubility in aqueous solutions was investigated. Ac-PRXs with low DA (less than 35%) were dissolved in aqueous solutions without considering the molecular weight of axle PEG, whereas Ac-PRXs with high DA (more than 40%) and low molecular weight of axle PEG (less than 35000) were precipitated into the solutions. Interestingly, Ac-PRXs with high DA and high molecular weight of axle PEG (100000) exhibited a colloidal dispersion in aqueous solutions. It is considered that the threaded acetylated α-CDs formed hydrophobic microenvironments via hydrophobic interactions and the noncovered segments of axle PEGs provided colloidal stability. Furthermore, the potential application of Ac-PRX100k as a drug carrier was examined and it was established that Ac-PRX100k can encapsulate a hydrophobic drug. Accordingly, acetylation of PRXs is a viable approach to promote solubility in aqueous solutions and prepare self-assembled nanoparticles.
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