Poly(2-alkyl-2-oxazoline)s are biocompatible polymers with polypeptide-isomeric structures that are attracting increasing interest as biomaterials for drug, gene, protein, and radionuclide delivery. They are, however, still relatively new in comparison to other classes of hydrophilic water-soluble polymers already established for such use, including poly(ethylene oxide), polyvinylpyrrolidone, and polymethacrylamides such as poly[N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide]. This feature article critically compares the synthetic aspects and physicochemical and biological properties of poly(2-alkyl-2-oxazoline)s and these commonly studied polymers in terms of their suitability for biomedical applications.

Membrane shapes, produced by dynamically assembled lipid/protein architectures, are crucial for both physiological functions and the design of therapeutic nanotechnologies. Here we investigate the dynamics of lipid membrane-neurotrophic BDNF protein complexes formation and ordering in nanoparticles, with the purpose of innovation in nanostructure-based neuroprotection and biomimetic nanoarchitectonics. The kinetic pathway of membrane states associated with rapidly occurring nonequilibrium self-assembled lipid/protein nanoarchitectures was determined by millisecond time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) at high resolution. The neurotrophin binding and millisecond trafficking along the flexible membranes induced an unusual overlay of channel-network architectures including two coexisting cubic lattices epitaxially connected to lamellar membrane stacks. These time-resolved membrane processes, involving intercalation of discrete stiff proteins in continuous soft membranes, evidence stepwise curvature control mechanisms. The obtained three-phase liquid-crystalline nanoparticles of neurotrophic composition put forward important advancements in multicompartment soft-matter nanostructure design.

The 2-fold thermoresponsive diblock copolymer PSPP498-b-PNIPMAM144, which consists of a zwitterionic polysulfobetaine (PSPP) block and a nonionic poly­(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) (PNIPMAM) block, is prepared by consecutive RAFT polymerizations. It combines the upper and lower critical solution temperature (UCST and LCST) behaviors, respectively, of the constitutive homopolymers in aqueous solution. We investigate the temperature-dependent phase behavior and the self-assembled structures of the block copolymer in D2O by turbidimetry and by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) in salt-free solution and in the presence of small amounts of NaCl and NaBr. For comparison, solutions of PNIPMAM homopolymer in D2O are studied as well. Turbidimetry indicates thermally induced “schizophrenic” aggregation behavior for PSPP498-b-PNIPMAM144. SANS reveals that conventional star-like core–shell micellar structures are formed above the LCST transition, whereas below the UCST-transition, structure formation is much less pronounced. This is attributed to the different types of interactions, namely hydrophobic and ionic ones, dominating in the different regimes. Despite the increased polarity contrast between the zwitterionic and the nonionic blocks, and the much wider separation of the UCST- and LCST-based cloud points, CPUCST and CPLCST, the structural features of the new PSPP498-b-PNIPMAM144 resemble the ones found previously for the also 2-fold thermoresponsive analogue PSPP432-b-PNIPAM200, for which both phase transition temperatures nearly coincide. Remarkably, the addition of small amounts of NaBr or NaCl to the solution of PSPP498-b-PNIPMAM144 causes a significant increase of CPUCST, as well as minor but notable changes in the self–assembled structures, but no gross alterations of the phase behavior.

A 2-fold thermoresponsive diblock copolymer PSPP430-b-PNIPAM200 consisting of a zwitterionic polysulfobetaine (PSPP) block and a nonionic poly­(N-isopropyl­acrylamide) (PNIPAM) block is prepared by successive RAFT polymerizations. In aqueous solution, the corresponding homopolymers PSPP and PNIPAM feature both upper and lower critical solution temperature (UCST and LCST) behavior, respectively. The diblock copolymer exhibits thermally induced “schizophrenic” aggregation behavior in aqueous solutions. Moreover, the ion sensitivity of the cloud point of the zwitterionic PSPP block to both the ionic strength and the nature of the salt offers the possibility to create switchable systems which respond sensitively to changes of the temperature and of the electrolyte type and concentration. The diblock copolymer solutions in D2O are investigated by means of turbidimetry and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) with respect to the phase behavior and the self-assembled structures in dependence on temperature and electrolyte content. Marked differences of the aggregation below the UCST-type and above the LCST-type transition are observed. The addition of a small amount of NaBr (0.004 M) does not affect the overall behavior, and only the UCST-type transition and aggregate structures are slightly altered, reflecting the well-known ion sensitivity of the zwitterionic PSPP block.

Structural changes occurring on a millisecond time scale during uptake of DNA by cationic lipid nanocarriers are monitored by time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) coupled to a rapid-mixing stopped-flow technique. Nanoparticles (NPs) of nanochannel organization are formed by PEGylation, hydration, and dispersion of a lipid film of the fusogenic lipid monoolein in a mixture with positively charged (DOMA) and PEGylated (DOPE-PEG2000) amphiphiles and are characterized by the inner cubic structure of very large nanochannels favorable for DNA upload. Ultrafast structural dynamics of complexation and assembly of these cubosome particles with neurotrophic plasmid DNA (pDNA) is revealed thanks to the high brightness of the employed synchrotron X-ray beam. The rate constant of the pDNA/lipid NP complexation is estimated from dynamic roentgenograms recorded at 4 ms time resolution. pDNA upload into the vastly hydrated channels of the cubosome carriers leads to a fast nanoparticle-nanoparticle structural transition and lipoplex formation involving tightly packed pDNA.