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Title: Synthesis and mechanistic investigations of pH-responsive cationic poly(aminoester)s

Abstract

The synthesis and degradation mechanisms of a class of pH-sensitive, rapidly degrading cationic poly(α-aminoester)s are described. These reactive, cationic polymers are stable at low pH in water, but undergo a fast and selective degradation at higher pH to liberate neutral diketopiperazines. Related materials incorporating oligo(α-amino ester)s have been shown to be effective gene delivery agents, as the charge-altering degradative behavior facilitates the delivery and release of mRNA and other nucleic acids in vitro and in vivo. Herein, we report detailed studies of the structural and environmental factors that lead to these rapid and selective degradation processes in aqueous buffers. At neutral pH, poly(α-aminoester)s derived from N-hydroxyethylglycine degrade selectively by a mechanism involving sequential 1,5- and 1,6-O→N acyl shifts to generate bis(N-hydroxyethyl) diketopiperazine. A family of structurally related cationic poly(aminoester)s was generated to study the structural influences on the degradation mechanism, product distribution, and pH dependence of the rate of degradation. The kinetics and mechanism of the pH-induced degradations were investigated by 1H NMR, model reactions, and kinetic simulations. These results indicate that polyesters bearing α-ammonium groups and appropriately positioned N-hydroxyethyl substituents are readily cleaved (by intramolecular attack) or hydrolyzed, representing dynamic “dual function” materials that are initially polycationic and transformmore » with changing environment to neutral products.« less

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, USA
  2. Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, USA, Department of Chemical and Systems Biology
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Stanford Univ., CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1600850
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1803272
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0018168
Resource Type:
Published Article
Journal Name:
Chemical Science
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Chemical Science Journal Volume: 11 Journal Issue: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 2041-6520
Publisher:
Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Subject:
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY

Citation Formats

Blake, Timothy R., Ho, Wilson C., Turlington, Christopher R., Zang, Xiaoyu, Huttner, Melanie A., Wender, Paul A., and Waymouth, Robert M. Synthesis and mechanistic investigations of pH-responsive cationic poly(aminoester)s. United Kingdom: N. p., 2020. Web. doi:10.1039/C9SC05267D.
Blake, Timothy R., Ho, Wilson C., Turlington, Christopher R., Zang, Xiaoyu, Huttner, Melanie A., Wender, Paul A., & Waymouth, Robert M. Synthesis and mechanistic investigations of pH-responsive cationic poly(aminoester)s. United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1039/C9SC05267D
Blake, Timothy R., Ho, Wilson C., Turlington, Christopher R., Zang, Xiaoyu, Huttner, Melanie A., Wender, Paul A., and Waymouth, Robert M. Wed . "Synthesis and mechanistic investigations of pH-responsive cationic poly(aminoester)s". United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1039/C9SC05267D.
@article{osti_1600850,
title = {Synthesis and mechanistic investigations of pH-responsive cationic poly(aminoester)s},
author = {Blake, Timothy R. and Ho, Wilson C. and Turlington, Christopher R. and Zang, Xiaoyu and Huttner, Melanie A. and Wender, Paul A. and Waymouth, Robert M.},
abstractNote = {The synthesis and degradation mechanisms of a class of pH-sensitive, rapidly degrading cationic poly(α-aminoester)s are described. These reactive, cationic polymers are stable at low pH in water, but undergo a fast and selective degradation at higher pH to liberate neutral diketopiperazines. Related materials incorporating oligo(α-amino ester)s have been shown to be effective gene delivery agents, as the charge-altering degradative behavior facilitates the delivery and release of mRNA and other nucleic acids in vitro and in vivo. Herein, we report detailed studies of the structural and environmental factors that lead to these rapid and selective degradation processes in aqueous buffers. At neutral pH, poly(α-aminoester)s derived from N-hydroxyethylglycine degrade selectively by a mechanism involving sequential 1,5- and 1,6-O→N acyl shifts to generate bis(N-hydroxyethyl) diketopiperazine. A family of structurally related cationic poly(aminoester)s was generated to study the structural influences on the degradation mechanism, product distribution, and pH dependence of the rate of degradation. The kinetics and mechanism of the pH-induced degradations were investigated by 1H NMR, model reactions, and kinetic simulations. These results indicate that polyesters bearing α-ammonium groups and appropriately positioned N-hydroxyethyl substituents are readily cleaved (by intramolecular attack) or hydrolyzed, representing dynamic “dual function” materials that are initially polycationic and transform with changing environment to neutral products.},
doi = {10.1039/C9SC05267D},
journal = {Chemical Science},
number = 11,
volume = 11,
place = {United Kingdom},
year = {2020},
month = {3}
}

Journal Article:
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https://doi.org/10.1039/C9SC05267D

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