Tellurium-containing polymer micelles: competitive-ligand-regulated coordination responsive systems

Wei Cao, Yuwei Gu, Myriam Meineck, Tianyu Li, and Huaping Xu

J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2014, 136, 5132-5137.

Nanomaterials capable of achieving tunable cargo release kinetics are of significance in a fundamental sense and various biological or medical applications. We report a competitive coordination system based on a novel tellurium-containing polymer and its ligand-regulated release manners. Tellurium was introduced to water-soluble polymers for the first time as drug delivery vehicles. The coordination chemistry between platinum and tellurium was designed to enable the load of platinum-based drugs. Through the competitive coordination of biomolecules, the drugs could be released in a controlled manner. Furthermore, the release kinetics could be modulated by the competitive ligands involved due to their different coordination ability. This tellurium-containing polymer may enrich the family of delivery systems and provide a new platform for future biomedical nanotechnologies.

Cao W JACS 2014