Synthesis of Non-spherical Glycopolymer-Decorated Nanoparticles: Combing Thiol-ene with Catecholic Chemistry.

Glycopolymers with carbohydrate side chains are currently being applied in many fields, with much potential for disease treatment. The shape of glycopolymer-bearing nanoparticles has obvious effects on the nanoparticle-cell interaction and is therefore important for the applications of glycopolymers in biological systems. Here a synthetic approach to prepare non-spherical glycopolymer-coated iron oxide nanoparticles is provided, by combing the convenience of inorganic shape control, catecholic chemistry, and thiol-ene reaction.