We present a study of equilibrium chain-exchange kinetics of a well-defined model system for starlike polymeric micelles. The results show that the kinetics follows a logarithmic time dependence. The same feature has been confirmed for two other micellar systems. This is in sharp contrast to theoretical predictions and hints towards strongly coupled chain dynamics within the micellar cores indu...

The apparent size increase of poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM)-based polymeric micelles upon heating was usually ascribed to their volume growth or aggregation in aqueous solution. Herein we designed a photo-cross-linkable PNIPAM-based copolymer and proposed another thermo-responsive behaviour - fusion, which is disclosed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) after in situ fixing morph...

Pt-decorated mesoporous silica is directly prepared using a polymeric micelles assembly approach using an asymmetric triblock copolymer, poly(styrene-b-2-vinylpyridine-b-ethylene oxide) as the structure directing agent. Strongly immobilized, fully accessible, and uniformly dispersed Pt nanoparticles on mesoporous silica wall exhibit superior catalytic activity toward CO oxidation.

An efficient and simple protocol for synthesis of novel La(2)O(3) hollow nanospheres of size about 30 ± 2 nm using polymeric micelles is reported. The La(2)O(3) hollow nanospheres exhibit high charge capacity and cycling performance in lithium-ion rechargeable batteries (LIBs), which was scrutinized for the first time among the rare-earth oxides.

A novel amphiphilic pH-sensitive triblock polymer brush (poly(β-amino esters)-g-cholesterol)-b-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-(poly(β-amino esters)-g-cholesterol) ((PAE-g-Chol)-b-PEG-b-(PAE-g-Chol)) was designed and synthesized successfully through a three-step reaction, and their self-assembled polymeric micelles were used as hydrophobic anticancer drug delivery carriers to realize effectively contro...

Alternatively, star polymers (unimolecular, globular, polymer architectures) are an increasingly attractive class of organic nanoparticles for biomedical research purposes. [ 16–18 ] Although topographically similar to dendrimers (i.e., a high local density of polymeric arms, surface functionality, and interstitial regions), they lack the synthetic and structural limitations of dendrimers [ 19 ...

The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate an avb3-specific nanoprobe consisting of fluorescent superparamagnetic polymeric micelles (FSPPM) for in vivo imaging of tumor angiogenesis. Spherical micelles were produced using poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(D,L-lactide) co-polymers conjugated with tetramethylrhodamine, a fluorescent dye, and loaded with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanop...

Nanoparticle therapeutics are promising platforms for cancer therapy. However, it remains a formidable challenge to assess their distribution and clinical efficacy for therapeutic applications. Here, by using multifunctional polymeric micellar nanocarriers incorporating clinically approved gadolinium (Gd)-based magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents and platinum (Pt) anticancer drugs throug...

Polymeric micelles had been used as an efficacious carrier system for anti-cancer drug delivery. However, it is not clear whether the molecular mechanism of drug encapsulated in micelles is same as free drug. In this study, the mechanism of vinorelbine loaded in glycol-phosphatidylethanolamine (PEG-PE) micelles (M-Vino) on tumor cells was investigated. Compared with free vinorelbine (Free Vino)...

Particulate systems in the form of liposomes, polymeric micelles, polymeric nano- and microparticles, and many others offer a rational approach for selective delivery of therapeutic agents to the macrophage from different physiological portals of entry. Particulate targeting of macrophages and intracellular drug release processes can be optimized through modifications of the drug carrier physic...