Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/145938
Title: Facile mixing of phospholipids promotes self-assembly of low-molecular-weight biodegradable block co-polymers into functional vesicular architectures
Authors: Khan, Amit Kumar
Ho, James Chin Shing
Roy, Susmita
Liedberg, Bo
Nallani, Madhavan
Keywords: Engineering::Materials
Issue Date: 2020
Source: Khan, A. K., Ho, J. C. S., Roy, S., Liedberg, B., & Nallani, M. (2020). Facile mixing of phospholipids promotes self-assembly of low-molecular-weight biodegradable block co-polymers into functional vesicular architectures. Polymers, 12(4), 979-. doi:10.3390/polym12040979
Journal: Polymers 
Abstract: In this work, we have used low-molecular-weight (PEG12-b-PCL6, PEG12-b-PCL9 or PEG16-b-PLA38; MW, 1.25–3.45 kDa) biodegradable block co-polymers to construct nano- and micron-scaled hybrid (polymer/lipid) vesicles, by solvent dispersion and electroformation methods, respectively. The hybrid vesicles exhibit physical properties (size, bilayer thickness and small molecule encapsulation) of a vesicular boundary, confirmed by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy, calcein leakage assay and dynamic light scattering. Importantly, we find that these low MW polymers, on their own, do not self-assemble into polymersomes at nano and micron scales. Using giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) model, their surface topographies are homogeneous, independent of cholesterol, suggesting more energetically favorable mixing of lipid and polymer. Despite this mixed topography with a bilayer thickness similar to that of a lipid bilayer, variation in surface topology is demonstrated using the interfacial sensitive phospholipase A2 (sPLA2). The biodegradable hybrid vesicles are less sensitive to the phospholipase digestion, reminiscent of PEGylated vesicles, and the degree of sensitivity is polymer-dependent, implying that the nano-scale surface topology can further be tuned by its chemical composition. Our results reveal and emphasize the role of phospholipids in promoting low MW polymers for spontaneous vesicular self-assembly, generating a functional hybrid lipid-polymer interface.
URI: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/145938
ISSN: 2073-4360
DOI: 10.3390/polym12040979
Schools: School of Materials Science and Engineering 
Organisations: NTU Innovation Center 
ACM Biolabs Pte. Ltd. 
Research Centres: Centre for Biomimetic Sensor Science (CBSS) 
Rights: © 2020 The Authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Fulltext Permission: open
Fulltext Availability: With Fulltext
Appears in Collections:MSE Journal Articles

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