Self-assembled nanoparticles based on cyclodextrin-modified pullulan: Synthesis, and structural characterization using SAXS.

Synthesis of novel host-guest functionalized polymers is presented along with structural characterization using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) of the resulting nanoparticles. Mono-6-deoxy-mono-6-azidoβCD (NβCD) was grafted onto alkyne-functionalized pullulan via the "click" reaction copper(I)-catalyzed azide alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) and an adamantane-modified dextran was prepared via the same strategy. Characterization of the polymers was carried out using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, gel filtration chromatography (GFC), isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and SAXS. Nanoparticles were created via host-guest interactions between the well-defined βCD-pullulans and adamantane-modified dextran. Characterization was carried out using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and SAXS, which revealed spherical particles in the sub-100 nm range. The studies shed light on the importance of molecular structure and host-guest ratio on crucial properties such as particle size, size distribution, porosity and stability towards aggregation.