• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.294-301
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• 2013

Polymersomes made of biodegradable triblock copolymers based on poly(fumaric acid-co-sebacoyl chloride)/PEG (PEG-co-P(FA/SC)-co-PEG) were prepared and studied in aqueous solutions. TEM confirmed the formation of vesicles in aqueous media. Aggregation behavior of the copolymers was studied by fluorescence spectroscopy of 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid, and the critical aggregation concentration (c.a.c.) of the copolymer was found to be ${\sim}26.2{\mu}M$ indicating desirable stability of the vesicles. Dynamic light scattering revealed that the size of the vesicles was distributed within the range of 170-270 nm. Turbidity measurements confirmed the relative short-term stability of the polymersomes. Carboxyfluorescein, a hydrophilic compound, was simply encapsulated in the vesicles during polymersome preparation. The release of encapsulant from the polymersomes at 25 and $37^{\circ}C$ lasted about 3 weeks, and the rate of release followed a first-order kinetics. The release is speculated to be primarily carried out through diffusion. These results confirm that these polymersomes are promising as controlled-release carriers of various drugs.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.359-364
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• 2006

Di-block copolymers composed of two biocompatible polymers, poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(D,L-lactide), were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization for preparing polymer vesicles (polymersomes). Emulsion solvent evaporation method was used to fabricate the polymersomes. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images confirmed that polymersomes have a hollow structure inside. Confocal laser microscope and optical microscope were also used to verify the hollow structure of polymersomes. Polymersomes having various sizes from several hundred nanometers to a few micrometers were fabricated. The size of the polymersomes could be readily controlled by altering the relative hydrodynamic volume fraction ratio between hydrophilic and hydrophobic blocks in the copolymer structure, and by varying the fabrication methods. They showed greatly enhanced stability with increased molecular weight of PEG. They maintained their physical and chemical structural integrities after repeated cycles of centrifugation/re-dispersion, and even after treatment with surfactants.