Arno Maria C, Inam Maria, Coe Zachary, Cambridge Graeme, Macdougall Laura J, Keogh Robert, Dove Andrew P, O'Reilly Rachel K
Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick , Gibbet Hill, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
J Am Chem Soc. 2017 Nov 22;139(46):16980-16985. doi: 10.1021/jacs.7b10199. Epub 2017 Nov 9.
The fabrication of monodisperse nanostructures of highly controlled size and morphology with spatially distinct functional regions is a current area of high interest in materials science. Achieving this control directly in a biologically relevant solvent, without affecting cell viability, opens the door to a wide range of biomedical applications, yet this remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report the preparation of biocompatible and biodegradable poly(ε-caprolactone) 1D (cylindrical) and 2D (platelet) micelles in water and alcoholic solvents via crystallization-driven self-assembly. Using epitaxial growth in an alcoholic solvent, we show exquisite control over the dimensions and dispersity of these nanostructures, allowing access to uniform morphologies and predictable dimensions based on the unimer-to-seed ratio. Furthermore, for the first time, we report epitaxial growth in aqueous solvent, achieving precise control over 1D nanostructures in water, an essential feature for any relevant biological application. Exploiting this further, a strong, biocompatible and fluorescent hydrogel was obtained as a result of living epitaxial growth in aqueous solvent and cell culture medium. MC3T3 and A549 cells were successfully encapsulated, demonstrating high viability (>95% after 4 days) in these novel hydrogel materials.
制备具有空间上不同功能区域、尺寸和形态高度可控的单分散纳米结构是材料科学当前备受关注的领域。在不影响细胞活力的情况下，直接在生物相关溶剂中实现这种控制，为广泛的生物医学应用打开了大门，但这仍然是一项重大挑战。在此，我们报告了通过结晶驱动的自组装在水和醇类溶剂中制备生物相容性和可生物降解的聚（ε-己内酯）一维（圆柱形）和二维（片状）胶束。利用在醇类溶剂中的外延生长，我们展示了对这些纳米结构的尺寸和分散性的精确控制，能够基于单体与种子的比例获得均匀的形态和可预测的尺寸。此外，我们首次报告了在水性溶剂中的外延生长，实现了对水中一维纳米结构的精确控制，这是任何相关生物应用的一个基本特征。进一步利用这一点，通过在水性溶剂和细胞培养基中的活性外延生长，获得了一种强的、生物相容性和荧光性水凝胶。MC3T3和A549细胞成功被包封，在这些新型水凝胶材料中显示出高活力（4天后>95%）。
