Protein Resistance and pH-Responsive Controlled Release from the Modification of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes with a Double Polymer Layer

Abstract

A reliable and easy method is developed to confer protein resistance and drug controlled release dual functions to single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) by modification with a polydopamine (Pdop) layer and poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) (POEGMA) brushes. The study of protein resistance demonstrates that POEGMA-modified SWNTs exhibit higher protein resistance than pristine SWNTs, and the protein resistance ability is dependant on the length of the POEGMA molecule. Furthermore, the Pdop layer can serve as a pH-responsive switch for controlled loading and release of rhodamine 6G. The integration of protein resistance and pH-responsive controlled release make the double-layer modified SWNTs attractive for drug delivery in cancer therapy.