Polymer micelles amphiphilic block copolymers

Polymer micelle Amphiphilic block copolymers that form nanosized core—shell structure in aqueous solution. 

Fig. 30 Types of nanocarriers for drug delivery, (a) Polymeric nanoparticles polymeric nanoparticles in which drugs are conjugated to or encapsulated in polymers, (b) Polymeric micelles amphiphilic block copolymers that form nanosized core-shell structures in aqueous solution. The hydrophobic core region serves as a reservoir for hydrophobic drugs, whereas hydrophilic shell region stabilizes the hydrophobic core and renders the polymer water-soluble.

Polymer Micelles Amphiphilic Block and Graft Copolymers as Polymeric Surfactants... 

The formation of polymeric capsules can also be achieved by the cross-linking of self-assembled amphiphilic block copolymers [85]. The hydrophobic section of the polymer in an aqueous solution will tend to aggregate on the interior of the micelle, whereas the hydrophilic ends will form the outer shell of the micelle. If the hydrophilic end is appropriately functionalized, it can be cross-linked, giving a polymeric shell. The overarching concept is shown in Figure 5.10. 

Many kinds of nonbiodegradable vinyl-type hydrophilic polymers were also used in combination with aliphatic polyesters to prepare amphiphilic block copolymers. Two typical examples of the vinyl-polymers used are poly(/V-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) [149-152] and poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (PMPC) [153]. PNIPAAm is well known as a temperature-responsive polymer and has been used in biomedicine to provide smart materials. Temperature-responsive nanoparticles or polymer micelles could be prepared using PNIPAAm-6-PLA block copolymers [149-152]. PMPC is also a well-known biocompatible polymer that suppresses protein adsorption and platelet adhesion, and has been used as the hydrophilic outer shell of polymer micelles consisting of a block copolymer of PMPC -co-PLA [153]. Many other vinyl-type polymers used for PLA-based amphiphilic block copolymers were also introduced in a recent review [16]. 

Fig. 6.3 Different types of micelles and micelle analogous structures a) amphiphilic block copolymers, b) star-like polymers with a hyperbranched core, c) polysoaps.

A promising strategy towards stable and catalyticaUy active metal colloids is their preparation inside the core of micelles formed by amphiphilic block copolymers. This strategy offers a number of advantages (i) micelles represent a nano-structured environment which can be exactly tailored by block copolymer synthesis (ii) polymers act as effective steric stabilizer ]36] (iii) metal leaching might be avoided (iv) micelles allow control over particle size, size distribution and particle solubility [37] and (v) micelles are also supposed to effect catalytic activity and selectivity [38]. 

Similar to micellar assemblies in water, reverse micelles have also been utilized to bring about nonspecific binding interactions in organic solvents. Akiyoshi et al. (2002) have synthesized an amphiphilic block copolymer containing PEO and an amylase chain as receptor for methyl orange (MO Chart 2.2). Amylases are insoluble and methoxy-PEO (MPEO) is soluble in chloroform. Hence, an MPEO-amylase block copolymer forms reverse micelles in chloroform. Akiyoshi et al. established the capability of the buried receptors to extract the complementary analyte by studying the ultraviolet visible (UV-vis) spectra. A solution of polymer was shaken... 

The extremely low CMCs have been advantageous for several applications, since only traces of polymer are required to form micelles. High dilution effects, that are problematic in the case of classical surfactants, do not alter polymeric micelles. The surface activity at the air - water, of the amphiphilic block copolymer or polymeric surfactants must be different from the classical surfactants, because of their much lower diffusion coefficients and their much complex conformations. 

For polymer chemists it is interesting to know how well-known linear polymers can be linked with dendritic architectures and what the supramolecular consequences of this approach might be. Combination of dendrimers with linear polymers in hybrid linear-dendritic block copolymers has been employed to achieve particular self-assembly effects. Block copolymers with a linear polyethylene oxide block and dendritic polybenzylether block form large micellar structures in solution that depend on the size (i.e., the generation) of the dendritic block [10]. Amphiphilic block copolymers have been prepared by the combination of a linear, apolar polystyrene chain with a polar, hydrophilic poly(propylene imine) dendrimer [11] as well as PEO with Boc-substituted poly-a, -L-lysine dendrimers, respectively [12]. Such block copolymers form large spherical and cylindrical micelles in solution and have been described as superamphi-philes and hydra-amphiphiles , respectively. 

In addition to their traditional applications as surfactants, dispersants, etc., amphiphilic polymers have recently been attracting active interest in terms of their behavior at liquid-liquid, solid-liquid, and other interfaces (micellization, segmental conformation, etc.), along with their biocompatibility. In this section, amphiphilic block copolymers alone are briefly discussed. Graft and multiarmed polymers with amphiphilic arms will be treated later in this chapter (Section VI). 

Polymer micelles are supramolecular assemblies of amphiphilic block copolymers that have a characteristic... 

Amphiphilic block copolymer Polymer micelle In aqueous media... 

Water-soluble polymers conjugated with lipids can form micelles in aqueous media, and they can be used for the solubilization and enhanced delivery of a variety of sparingly soluble drugs. The basic structures of these polymer-lipid conjugates are similar to amphiphilic block copolymers except for the fact that hydrophobic parts are composed of lipids instead of hydro-phobic polymers. For example, a hydrophilic PEG block is conjugated with phosphatidylethanolamine. ... 

Fullerenes and their derivatives are of broad interest in various fields ranging from ferromagnetism [87] over their application as possible HIV inhibitors [88] to tumor-therapeutic active substance in biological systems [89]. Although C6o is insoluble in water, dissolution may be accomplished by using water-soluble polymers [90] or surfactant solutions containing amphiphilic block-copolymers [91], micelles or liposomes [92, 93]. The immobilization of... 

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