Lately, a new class of water-dispersible nanoparticles based on conjugated polymers (CPNs) attracted a significant attention. They exhibit low cytotoxicity, significant photostability, and possess high fluorescent quantum yield and molar absorptivity. Moreover, they can be synthesized easily with a desired emission wavelength and functionalities from a number of different polymers.These features make them very attractive for photonicsand biomedical applications.In this contribution, we designed and synthesized a series of pH, redox and enzyme-responsive light emitting conjugated polymer nanoparticles. These nanoparticles have ability to encapsulate anti-cancer drugs in high loadings and can be employed in controlled release drug delivery and cellular imaging simultaneously. Time and dose dependent in vitro cytotoxicity tests of blank and drug-loaded nanoparticles were performed by real-time cell electronic sensing (RT-CES) assay against hepato cellular carcinoma cells (Huh7). RT-CES experiments involve using a gold plate and the system relies on electrical impedance cell sensors arrays embedded at the bottom of the plates. This new imaging-guided drug delivery system does not require a complicated design and synthetic methods, needing only one type of polymer which contain stimuli-responsive groups and can be synthesized easily. These nanoparticles act both as a photostable fluorescent probe, and a matrix to encapsulate the drug molecules.

Stimuli-responsive conjugated polymer nanoparticles for cellular imaging and controlled-release drug delivery

248th National Meeting (2014)

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