Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2026
09:57
A Facile and Efficient Approach for the Production of Reversible Disulfide Cross-linked Micelles
Published on: December 23, 2016
9.3K
Self-Assembled Polypseudorotaxanes Crosslinked by Dynamic Disulfide Bonds as Modular Functionalization for Thiophilic
Xiang Xu1,2, Bing Zan2,3, Yuanyang Xie4
1Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, Franklin Wilkins Building, Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|September 8, 2025
Summary
We developed a thiol-rich polypseudorotaxane (SPPR) platform for functionalizing nanoparticles. This adaptable material enables the creation of responsive hydrogels and enhances nanoparticle cancer cytotoxicity.
Area of Science:
- Supramolecular chemistry
- Materials science
- Polymer chemistry
Background:
- Polypseudorotaxanes (PPR) offer modularity and programmability for functional materials.
- Thiol-rich supramolecular assemblies are desirable for dynamic functionalization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the one-pot preparation of a self-assembled thiol-rich polypseudorotaxane (SPPR).
- To demonstrate SPPR's utility as a platform for functionalizing thiophilic metal nanoparticles (NPs).
Main Methods:
- Self-assembly of thiolated-α-cyclodextrins onto polymers.
- Crosslinking via thermally-triggered thiol oxidation to disulfide bonds.
- Characterization using small-angle neutron scattering and rheology.
Main Results:
- SPPR was synthesized via a one-pot method.
- SPPR formed thermo-responsive hydrogels incorporating NPs, enhancing mechanical properties, photo-responsive gelation, and thixotropy.
- SPPR polymers wrapped NPs, enhancing their cancer cytotoxicity via a thiol-mediated pathway.
Conclusions:
- SPPR serves as a versatile platform for functionalizing metal nanoparticles.
- This approach enables the development of customized supramolecular materials with applications in responsive hydrogels and drug delivery.
Related Concept Videos
02:51Metal-Ligand Bonds
The hemoglobin in the blood, the chlorophyll in green plants, vitamin B-12, and the catalyst used in the manufacture of polyethylene all contain coordination compounds. Ions of the metals, especially the transition metals, are likely to form complexes.
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...
02:34Structural Isomerism
Isomerism in Complexes
Isomers are different chemical species that have the same chemical formula. Structural isomerism of coordination compounds can be divided into two subcategories, the linkage isomers and coordination-sphere isomers.
Linkage isomers occur when the coordination compound contains a ligand that can bind to the transition metal center through two different atoms. For example, the CN− ligand can bind through the carbon atom or through the nitrogen atom. Similarly, SCN− can be...
Isomers are different chemical species that have the same chemical formula. Structural isomerism of coordination compounds can be divided into two subcategories, the linkage isomers and coordination-sphere isomers.
Linkage isomers occur when the coordination compound contains a ligand that can bind to the transition metal center through two different atoms. For example, the CN− ligand can bind through the carbon atom or through the nitrogen atom. Similarly, SCN− can be...
02:42Valence Bond Theory
Coordination compounds and complexes exhibit different colors, geometries, and magnetic behavior, depending on the metal atom/ion and ligands from which they are composed. In an attempt to explain the bonding and structure of coordination complexes, Linus Pauling proposed the valence bond theory, or VBT, using the concepts of hybridization and the overlapping of the atomic orbitals. According to VBT, the central metal atom or ion (Lewis acid) hybridizes to provide empty orbitals of suitable...
01:23Properties of Organometallic Compounds
Organometallic compounds are compounds that contain a carbon–metal bond. Carbon belongs to an organyl group like alkyl, aryl, allyl, or benzyl groups. The metal can be from Group I or Group II of the periodic table, a transition metal, or a semimetal.
01:19Complexation Equilibria: The Chelate Effect
In complexation reactions, metal atoms or cations interact with ligands to form donor-acceptor adducts called metal complexes. Ligands that bind through one donor site are monodentate, ligands with two donor sites are bidentate, and those with more than two donor sites are polydentate ligands. For example, ethylene diamine is a bidentate ligand that binds through two nitrogen donor atoms, forming a five-membered ring. EDTA is a polydentate ligand that binds through four oxygen and two nitrogen...
01:09Complexation Equilibria: Factors Influencing Stability of Complexes
In complexation reactions, metal cations are the electron pair acceptors, and the ligands are the electron pair donors. The stability of the metal complexes depends primarily on the complexing ability of the central metal ion and the nature of the ligands. Generally, the complexing ability of the metal ion depends on the size and charge of the ion. As the metal ion size increases, the stability of the metal complexes decreases, provided that the valency of the metal ion and the ligands remain...