Erik Schwartz, Matthieu Koepf, Heather J. Kitto, Mónica Espelt,
Vicent J. Nebot-Carda, Rene De Gelder, Roeland J. M. Nolte, Jeroen J.
L. M. Cornelissen, Alan E. Rowan
Water soluble
azido polyisocyanopeptides as functional -sheet mimics
J. of Polymer Science (2009)
4150-4164
Abstract
The design and synthesis of functional biomimetic water soluble
polymers with a defined secondary structure has been developed using
-sheet polyisocyanopeptide scaffolds. Water soluble isocyanopolymers
were prepared by random copolymerisation of the azido functionalized
isocyanopeptides with nonfunctionalised methyl ester isocyanides
derived from alanine. Upon saponification of the latter function a
rigid rod water soluble polymer was obtained with an accessible azide
for postfunctionalization. The potential of these biomimetic polymers
was successfully demonstrated by using the click chemistry reaction of
these polymers with an acetylene functionalised rhodamine dye.