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Solution Self-Assembly of Synthetic Copolymers bearing Complementary Nucleic Acid Funtionalities
(2005)
Here we characterize new metal-functionalized amphiphilic diblock copolymers, developed for both surface and solution molecular recognition applications. Polybutadiene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) copolymers functionalized with nitrilotriacetic acid and tris(nitrilotriacetic acid) were complexed with nickel(II) to obtain coordination sites for oligohistidine residues of model proteins. Mixtures of functionalized polymers with the respective non-functionalized block copolymers self-assemble in aqueous solution into vesicular structures with a controlled density of the metal end-groups on their surface. In solution, binding of His6-tagged green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and red fluorescent protein (RFP) to the vesicle surface was quantified by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. Small-angle X-ray scattering indicates an increase of the membrane thickness by 2-3 nm upon protein binding. Block copolymer monolayers at the air-water interface and on solid support served as a model system to characterize the protein-decorated membranes by Brewster angle microscopy and AFM. High resolution AFM of solid-supported, hydrated monolayers indicates that the proteins form densely packed and partially ordered arrays with the cylindrically shaped EGFP molecules lying flat on the surface of the films.
The radical polymerization of three monomers bearing nucleobases 1-(4-vinylbenzyl)thymine (VBT), 1-(4-vinylbenzyl)uracil (VBU) and 9-(4-vinylbenzyl)adenine (VBA) was investigated. The corresponding homopolymers could be prepared in high yields via conventional radical polymerization. However, the resulting polymers were found to be only soluble in a few polar solvents. On the other hand, copolymers of dodecyl methacrylate (DMA) with either VBT or VBA could be prepared via both free radical polymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization and could be dissolved in a large variety of organic solvents. Moreover, the formed complementary copolymers P(VBT-co-DMA) and P(VBA-co-DMA) were found to self-assemble in dilute solutions in dioxane or chloroform via base recognition, as evidenced by a significant hypochromicity effect in UV spectroscopy. Nevertheless, at higher concentrations in chloroform, both dynamic light scattering and optical microscopy indicate that P(VBT-co-DMA), P(VBA-co-DMA), or P(VBT-co-DMA)/P(VBA-co-DMA) mixtures spontaneously self-assemble into micron size spherical aggregates. 1H NMR and FTIR studies confirmed that the self-assembly process is driven in all cases via H-bond formation. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 4805-4818, 2005