Shear stress-responsive polymersome nanoreactors inspired by the marine bioluminescence of dinoflagellates

Rifaie-Graham, Omar and Galensowske, Nikolas F. B. and Dean, Charlie and Pollard, Jonas and Balog, Sandor and Gouveia, Micael G. and Chami, Mohamed and Vian, Antoine and Amstad, Esther and Lattuada, Marco and Bruns, Nico (2021) Shear stress-responsive polymersome nanoreactors inspired by the marine bioluminescence of dinoflagellates. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 60 (2). pp. 904-909. ISSN 1433-7851 (https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202010099)

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Abstract

Some marine plankton called dinoflagellates emit light in response to the movement of surrounding water, resulting in a phenomenon called milky seas or sea sparkle. The underlying concept, a shear-stress induced permeabilisation of biocatalytic reaction compartments, is transferred to polymer-based nanoreactors. Amphiphilic block copolymers that carry nucleobases in their hydrophobic block are self-assembled into polymersomes. The membrane of the vesicles can be transiently switched between an impermeable and a semipermeable state by shear forces occurring in flow or during turbulent mixing of polymersome dispersions. Nucleobase pairs in the hydrophobic leaflet separate when mechanical force is applied, exposing their hydrogen bonding motifs and therefore making the membrane less hydrophobic and more permeable for water soluble compounds. This polarity switch is used to release payload of the polymersomes on demand, and to activate biocatalytic reactions in the interior of the polymersomes.

  • Item type:Article
    ID code:73956
    Dates:
    Date
    Event
    11 January 2021
    Published
    22 September 2020
    Published Online
    22 September 2020
    Accepted
    Subjects:Science > Chemistry
    Department:Faculty of Science > Pure and Applied Chemistry
    Depositing user: Pure Administrator
    Date deposited:23 Sep 2020 15:38
    Last modified:14 Apr 2024 00:54
    URI:https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/73956
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