UNLABELLED BACKGROUND Microwave irradiation as an alternative heat source is now a well-known method in synthetic chemistry. Microwave heating has emerged as a powerful technique to promote a variety of chemical reactions, offering reduced pollution, low cost and offer high yields together with simplicity in processing and handling. On the other hand, copolymers containing both hydrophilic a...

We describe design, synthesis, physico-chemical characterization and preliminary biological evaluation of micelle-forming polymer drug conjugates with controlled drug release intended for tumor treatment. The structure of the conjugates was designed to enable tumor tissueand cell-specific drug release and micelle disassembly to avoid side effects accompanying classic chemotherapy and guarantee ...

Four monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide)(2) (mPEG-P( LA-co-GA)(2)) copolymers were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide and glycolide with double hydroxyl functionalized mPEG (mPEG-(OH)(2)) as macroinitiator and stannous octoate as catalyst. The copolymers self-assembled into nanoscale micellar/vesicular aggregations in phosphate buffer at pH 7.4. D...

This work describes the synthesis and applications of amphiphilic polystyrene-block-poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PS-b-PVP) copolymers as a silver and silica nanoparticle surface modification agent. The synthesis of PS-b-PVP was carried out using controlled/living radical polymerization techniques. The synthesis of the block copolymers was confirmed by gel permeation chromatography and hydrogen ...

Owing to its hydrophilicity, negative charge, small size, and labile degradation by endogenous nucleases, small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery must be achieved by a carrier system. In this study, cationic copolymers composed of low-molecular-weight polyethylenimine and polythiophenes were synthesized and evaluated as novel self-tracking siRNA delivery vectors. The concept underlying the desig...

Various thermally responsive block and graft copolymers based on poly(Nisopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) have been synthesised. Poly(ethyleneoxides) (PEO) with different chain lengths were used as hydrophilic blocks and grafts. The graft copolymers were synthesised in two steps. Firstly, two functional copolymers were prepared by free radical polymerisation of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPA) with eithe...

The formation of polymeric micelles by the self-association of diblock copolymers consisting of hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments in aqueous medium is currently a topic of great interest. This interest is motivated by the attractive applications of polymeric micelles to various research areas such as drug delivery carrier technology and nanotechnology. In the biomedical materials field, poly...

The amphiphilic graft copolymer using chitosan (CS) as hydrophilic segment and poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) as hydrophobic segment, was prepared through a protection-graft-de protection route. Chitosan is a polysaccharide comprising of copolymers of glucosamine and N-acetyl glucosamine. Chitosan is the deacetylated derivative of chitin, which is one of the most abundant natural polysaccharides c...

Polymersomes are exciting self-assembled structures with great potential in pharmaceutical applications. A systematic investigation of a novel series methacrylate-based polymersomes is reported this study. Five well-defined ABA triblock copolymers being based on tri(ethylene glycol) methyl methacrylate and B 2-(diethylamino)ethyl (DMAEMA) were synthesized using living polymerization method. The...