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Precision Stealth Nanofibers via PET-RAFT Polymerisation: Synthesis, Crystallization-driven Self-assembly and
Steven T G Street1,2,3,4, Ekaterina Shteinberg5, Juan Diego Garcia Hernandez1
1School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol, BS8 1TS, United Kingdom.
Chemistry (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|February 24, 2025
Summary
This study introduces a new, easy-to-functionalize stealth polymer nanofiber platform for drug delivery. These biocompatible nanofibers show minimal toxicity and limited cell association, making them promising for biomedical applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Existing stealth polymer nanofibers, often poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based, face functionalization challenges hindering therapeutic translation.
- There is a need for versatile and easily modifiable nanofiber platforms for advanced drug delivery systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a modular and readily functionalizable platform for biocompatible stealth nanofibers.
- To create a new class of polymer nanofibers with controlled length and properties for therapeutic delivery.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a combination of ring-opening polymerization (ROP), photoinduced electron/energy transfer reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (PET-RAFT) polymerization, and crystallization-driven self-assembly (CDSA).
- Synthesized poly(fluorenetrimethylenecarbonate)-b-poly(N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide) (PFTMC-b-PHPMA) block copolymers.
- Achieved length control of nanofibers between 30 nm and 700 nm using living CDSA.
Main Results:
- Successfully produced low length-dispersity PFTMC-b-PHPMA nanofibers in a single step via CDSA.
- Demonstrated length control dependent on the polymer's structure and polymerization conditions.
- Created fluorescent nanofibers and nanospheres for cell studies, showing minimal cellular toxicity and association for nanofibers, and no association for nanospheres.
- Highlighted the suitability of PFTMC-b-PHPMA nanofibers for therapeutic delivery due to their shape and core-crystallinity.
Conclusions:
- The developed platform offers a modular and easily functionalizable approach to precision stealth polymer nanofibers.
- PFTMC-b-PHPMA nanofibers present a promising, low-toxicity option for advanced therapeutic delivery systems.
- This work lays the foundation for diverse prospective biomedical applications of these novel nanofibers.
