Functionalized PEG-b-PAGE-b-PLGA triblock terpolymers as materials for nanoparticle preparation

Abstract

A series of poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(allyl glycidyl ether) (PEG-b-PAGE) macroinitiators are prepared using the living anionic ring-opening polymerization (AROP) technique, and applied for further copolymerization studies. To overcome the low reactivity of the secondary hydroxyl end-group of the PAGE block, a primary hydroxyl group is introduced into the macroinitiators via trityl and tert-butyl-dimethylsilane protective groups. The modified macroinitiators are used for copolymerization by applying different amounts of PEG-b-PAGE (5, 10, and 15%) and different PLGA lengths. To study their properties, nanoparticles from selected polymers are prepared and characterized by dynamic light scattering and scanning electron microscopy showing spherical particles with diameters around 200 nm and low PDI particle values of 0.03-0.1. An advantage of the obtained polymers is the presence of double bonds in the side chain, which enables the modification via, for example, thiol-ene reactions. For this purpose tertiary 2-(dimethylamino)ethanethiol), acetylated thiogalactose and thiomannose are attached onto the double bonds of the PAGE-blocks.