Amphiphilic copolymers based on poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) (POXZ) were prepared to give two types of architectures : block copolymers and grafted copolymers (Figure 1). Poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) is a hydrophilic and non-ionic polymer showing interesting properties such as biocompatibility and lack of toxicity. The polymer chosen for the hydrophobic block is a biodegradable polyester : poly(D,L-lactide) (PLA).The synthesis of the amphiphilic copolymers was made by combination of cationic ring opening polymerization (CROP) and click chemistry (Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction). Figure 1. <img src='https://acs-archive-assets2.s3.amazonaws.com/241nm/uploads/62871_capsaicin-jce1.jpg' alt='' /> A new monomer 2-(5-azidopentyl)-2-oxazoline bearing an azido group was synthesized. The cationic ring-opening copolymerization of this monomer with 2-methyl-2-oxazoline resulted in a well-defined linear polymer backbone with pendant azido groups that could be used for the cycloaddition reaction. Self-association of these amphiphilic copolymers could lead directly to core-shell nanoparticles, made of a hydrophobic core and a hydrophilic POXZ shell. The synthesis of copolymers with different self-association properties was developed by varying the molecular weight of polymer, the length of each block in order to modify the hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance or the graft density.

Different polyoxazoline architectures for the elaboration of soft nanoparticles

248th National Meeting (2014)

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