Cucurbit-Like Polymersomes with Aggregation-Induced Emission Properties Show Enzyme-Mediated Motility.
Shoupeng CaoHanglong WuImke A B PijpersJingxin ShaoLoai K E A AbdelmohsenDavid S WilliamsJan C M Van HestPublished in: ACS nano (2021)
Polymersomes that incorporate aggregation-induced emission (AIE) moieties are attractive inherently fluorescent nanoparticles with biomedical application potential for cell/tissue imaging and tracking, as well as phototherapeutics. An intriguing feature that has not been explored yet is their ability to adopt a range of asymmetric morphologies. Structural asymmetry allows nanoparticles to be exploited as active (motile) systems. Here, we present the design and preparation of AIE fluorophore integrated (AIEgenic) cucurbit-shaped polymersome nanomotors with enzyme-powered motility. The cucurbit scaffold was constructed via morphology engineering of biodegradable fluorescent AIE-polymersomes, followed by functionalization with enzymatic machinery via a layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly process. Because of the enzyme-mediated decomposition of chemical fuel on the cucurbit-like nanomotor surface, enhanced directed motion was attained, when compared with the spherical counterparts. These cucurbit-shaped biodegradable AIE-nanomotors provide a promising platform for the development of active delivery systems with potential for biomedical applications.
Keyphrases
- living cells
- fluorescent probe
- drug delivery
- single molecule
- quantum dots
- biofilm formation
- high resolution
- machine learning
- single cell
- deep learning
- cell therapy
- escherichia coli
- human health
- solid state
- pseudomonas aeruginosa
- staphylococcus aureus
- bone marrow
- nitric oxide
- risk assessment
- high speed
- climate change
- fluorescence imaging
- candida albicans