Design and Synthesis of Novel Poly(ethylene glycol)-Based Brush-Arm Star Polymers

The precise temporal and spatial control afforded by light makes it a powerful tool to study living systems. Towards this end, photocages, which are removed by light exposure, have long been used to modulate the activity of biologically-active compounds. However, molecules without key sites of attachment, such as substrates for enzymatic activity and chemically reactive functionalities, would be beneficial to photocage but difficult to do through traditional means. Here, this problem is addressed through the use of photo-degradable polymer nanoparticles. This study describes the synthesis, characterization, and application of these nanoparticles as a general platform to photocage biologically active compounds, substantially increasing the types of molecules and biological functions that can be controlled by light.