Synthesis of β‐Cyclodextrin Containing Copolymer via “Click” Chemistry and Its Self‐Assembly in the Presence of Guest Compounds

We report the synthesis of a hydrophilic copolymer with one polyethylene glycol (PEG) block and one β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) containing block by a “click” reaction between azido‐substituted β‐CD and propargyl flanking copolymer. 1 H NMR study suggested a highly efficient conjugation of β‐CD units by this approach. The obtained copolymer was used as a host macromolecule to construct assemblies in the presence of hydrophobic guests. For assemblies containing a hydrophobic polymer, their size can be simply adjusted by simply changing the content of hydrophobic component. By serving as a guest molecule, hydrophobic drugs can also be loaded accompanying the formation of nanoparticles, and the drug payload is releasable. Therefore, the copolymer synthesized herein can be employed as a carrier for drug delivery. The synthesis of β‐cyclodextrin containing block copolymer via a “click” reaction is reported. The self‐assembly of this newly synthesized copolymer in the presence of guest compounds can lead to the formation of core–shell structured nanoparticles. These assemblies can be employed as novel delivery vehicles for therapeutics.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91173/1/marc_201100814_sm_suppl.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91173/2/664_ftp.pd