Abstract
Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is a versatile biocompatible polymer. Improvement of its limited functionality (two chain termini) may significantly expand its current applications. In this communication, a simple and yet highly efficient strategy for the synthesis of linear multifunctional PEGs with "click" chemistry is reported. A short acetylene-terminated PEG was linked by 2,2-bis(azidomethyl)propane-1,3-diol using Cu(I)-catalyzed Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition in water at room temperature. High-molecular-weight PEGs with pendant hydroxyl groups were obtained and characterized by 1H NMR and size-exclusion chromatography. A prototype bone-targeting polymeric drug delivery system was also successfully synthesized based on this new method. It demonstrates strong biomineral-binding ability and the ease of incorporating therapeutic agents into the delivery system. This simple "click" reaction approach provides a useful tool for the development of novel functional polymers and their conjugates for biomedical applications.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 2653-2658 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Biomacromolecules |
Volume | 8 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 2007 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Bioengineering
- Biomaterials
- Polymers and Plastics
- Materials Chemistry