Date of Award
Spring 5-2014
Degree Type
Honors College Thesis
Department
Polymers and High Performance Materials
First Advisor
Charles L. McCormick
Advisor Department
Polymers and High Performance Materials
Abstract
Targeted delivery of cancer therapeutics offers an exciting new opportunity for utilization of controlled polymerization techniques. However, a major obstacle in achieving the desired therapeutic effect is facilitating endosomal release of active agents following endocytosis. Peptides and pH-responsive polymers have been utilized as a means of triggering endosomal release via phase transition-induced membrane disruption. Unfortunately, the fidelity by which the pKa of these polymers/peptides can be varied is limited, such that it reduces their versatility in altering the phase transition point to best match the endosomal pH of a particular cell-type. Herein, we report the controlled polymerization of library of methacryloylsulfonamide derivatives via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization that exhibit a range of physiologically relevant pKa’s. Polymerization control was observed by noting the low polydispersity indices of the polymers along with the linear progression of Mn with time during the polymerizations for methacryloylsulfacetamide, methacryloylsulfabenzamide, and methacryloylsulfamethazine. RAFT chain transfer agent degradation and a loss of polymerization control were observed for methacryloylsulfamerazine, methacryloylsulfadiazine, methacryloylsulfadimethoxine, methacryloylsulfadoxin, and methacryloylsulfamethizole.
Copyright
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Recommended Citation
Sims, Michael B., "RAFT Polymerization of Sulfonamide-Containing Methacrylamides" (2014). Honors Theses. 264.
https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/264
Comments
Honors College Award: Top Thesis