Synthesis and character of novel polycarbonate for constructing biodegradable multi‐stimuli responsive delivery system

Here, we design a novel triple-stimuli-sensitive graft copolymer assembly which responds to the changes in temperature, reducing agent, and light. The graft copolymer consists of thermo-responsive tetraethylene glycolyl poly(trimethylene carbonate) (P(MTC-4EG)) as backbone and light-sensitive poly(2-nitrobenzyl methacrylate) (PNBM) as side chain linked by an intervening disulfide bond. In aqueous solution, the polymer can self-assemble into micelle with thermo-sensitive shell (P(MTC-4EG)), light-sensitive core (PNBM), and disulfide linker. The assemblies in response to stimuli were revealed by dynamic light scatting (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The drug release behaviors of Nile Red (NR)-loaded carriers were also valued with stimuli from temperature, reducing agent, and light. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 54, 3583–3592