Unimolecular Polypeptide Micelles via Ultrafast Polymerization of <i>N</i>-Carboxyanhydrides

Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2020 · 76 citations

• Chemistry
• Polymer chemistry
• Combinatorial chemistry

< 1.05) can be readily obtained, which are the biggest synthetic polypeptides ever reported. The degree of polymerization was controlled in a vast range (25-3200), giving access to nearly monodisperse unimolecular micelles with predictable sizes. Many NCA monomers can be polymerized using this ultrafast polymerization method, which enables the incorporation of various structural and functional moieties into the unimolecular micelles. Because of the simplicity of the synthesis and superior control over the structure, the unimolecular polypeptide micelles may find applications in nanomedicine, supermolecular chemistry, and bionanotechnology.