Nanochemistry and biotechnology

Perspective routes of controlled synthesis of polyoxazoline based polymeric surfactants
Paiuk O.L., Volianiuk K.A., Harhay Kh.I., Mitina N.Ye., Kinash N.I., Hevus O.I., Zaichenko A.S.
Lviv Polytechnic National University, St.Bandera str., 12, Lviv – 79013, Ukraine.
E-mail: zaichenk@polynet.lviv.ua
Among a lot of biocompatible polymeric carriers for waterborne drug and nucleic acid delivery systems polyoxazolines (POXs) cause enhanced scientific interest for biomedical using due to their biocompatibility, non-toxicity and biodegradability. However, low surface activity of POXs restricts their application for preparing practically accessible pharmaceutical formulations. The tailored construction of polymeric molecules combining polyoxazoline blocks or/and side chains with blocks and chains of hydrophilic or hydrophobic functional polymers is one of the promising routes for controlled synthesis of POX containing surfactants. Some of radical and/or non-radical routes of the synthesis of such surfactants developed in our team are considered in the presentation.

Developed approaches of the synthesis provide obtaining water soluble polymeric surfactants containing POX blocks or side chains in combination with the blocks and side chains of other hydrophilic or hydrophobic polymers of controlled various architectures. Their structures and colloidal-chemical characteristics were studied using IR- and NMR spectroscopy methods and DLS technique, respectively. Depending the structure and natures of the blocks and chains POX based surfactants decrease surface tension of water solutions and form polymeric micelles of distinct size and morphology. They were successfully tested as nontoxic carriers for binding and delivery of doxorubicin in water systems to tumor cells in vitro.