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Authors
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Castro, N. L. S.; Deng, Y.; Chen, X.; Nele, M.; Pinto, J. C.; Gaitzsch, J.
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Title
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Fine-tuning the crystallinity and enzymatic degradation of nanoparticles produced by radical ring-opening polymerization (RROP)
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Date
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15.09.2025
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Number
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0
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Abstract
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Radical ring-opening polymerization (RROP) of cyclic ketene acetals (CKAs) has gained attention in the last decade due to its ability to form a variety of degradable polyesters. Among them, 2-methylene-1,3,6-trioxocane (MTC) and 2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane (MDO) are the most studied. Amphiphilic block copolymers with varying amounts of poly-MTC and poly-MDO were prepared by RROP in the present work. Targeted variations in the MTC/MDO ratio allowed the production of block copolymers with different chain lengths and degrees of polymerization. Self-assembled polymeric nanoparticles were obtained through thin film rehydration of the produced copolymers in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) at 37°C. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements of the samples showed particle size distributions ranging from 171 to 274 nm. Nile red dye was encapsulated in the nanoparticles, and fluorescence spectroscopy was used to study enzymatic degradation and cargo release. Results showed that degradation varied with the composition, as the semi-crystalline PMDO slowed down the degradation. Degradation with lipase ranged from 37% to 95% depending on the sample. These results hence show that the stability of nanoparticles based on RROP can be tailored by the chemical composition of the hydrophobic block.
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Publisher
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Wiley
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Wikidata
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Citation
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Journal of Polymer Science 63 (2025) 3777-3785
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DOI
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https://doi.org/10.1002/pol.20250388
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Tags
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