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Abstract
Incorporating nucleobases into synthetic polymers has proven to be a versatile method for controlling self-assembly. The formation of strong directional hydrogen bonds between complementary nucleobases provides a driving force that permits access to complex particle morphologies. Here, nucleobase pairing was used to direct the formation and lengthening of nodes on the outer surface of vesicles formed from polymers (polymersomes) functionalised with adenine in their membrane-forming domains. Insertion of a self-assembling short diblock copolymer containing thymine into the polymersome membranes caused an increase in steric crowding at the hydrophilic/hydrophobic interface, which was relieved by initial node formation and subsequent growth. Nano-objects were imaged by (cryo-)TEM, which permitted quantification of node coverage and length. The ability to control node growth on the surface of polymersomes provides a new platform to develop higher-order nanomaterials with tailorable properties.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Chemical Science |
Early online date | 16 Feb 2024 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 16 Feb 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Acknowledgments:SDPF thanks the Leverhulme Trust for an Early Career Fellowship (ECF-2021-240). We are grateful to Dr Saskia Bakker for assistance with cryo-TEM analysis and the Advanced BioImaging Research Technology Platform, BBSRC ALERT14 award BB/M01228X/1 is thanked for supporting cryo-TEM characterisation. We are grateful to Dr Yujie Xie for assistance with confocal microscopy.
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Dive into the research topics of 'Controlled node growth on the surface of polymersomes†'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 1 Finished
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Nanoscale Containers for Synthetic Membrane Trafficking
Fielden, S. (Principal Investigator)
1/10/21 → 31/01/25
Project: Research