Die Übertragung der amphiphilen Grundbausteine der Liposome in die Welt der Polymere führte zu Blockcopolymeren, welche sogenannte Polymersome bilden können. Die synthetische Herkunft der Polymere ermöglicht es, eine Vielzahl von verschiedenen chemischen Funktionalitäten einzubringen. Anwendungen von Polymersomen werden vor allem als Wirkstoffträgersystem oder im Bereich der synthetischen Biologie als Nanoreaktoren oder künstliche Zellorganellen ausgemacht. In vielen Fällen wird dabei eine Schaltbarkeit oder Responsivität der Vesikel gegenüber äußerer Stimuli benötigt. Als nächste Stufe der Komplexizität können die responsiven, »smarten« Polymersome innerhalb ihrer Membran quervernetzt werden, wodurch es möglich wird, den Durchmesser und die Membranpermeabilität der Vesikel reversibel hin- und herzuschalten. Diese Arbeit baut dabei auf pH-responsiven Polymersomen auf, welche durch photochemische Reaktionen vernetzt werden. Dabei soll zunächst der Frage nachgegangen werden, an welchem pH Wert genau der Übergang von kollabierten zu gequollenen Vesikeln erfolgt und wie sich dieser »kritischer pH« (pH*) verändern und einstellen lässt. Neben der Herstellung von maßgeschneiderten Polymersomen ist aber auch die detaillierte Charakterisierung ihrer Membraneigenschaften unabdingbar, wofür die Titration mit Fluoreszenz-Sonden eingesetzt wurde. Darüber hinaus wurden Enzyme in die Vesikel eingekapselt wobei die neuartige Methode der post-Verkapselung untersucht wurde.

As an inspiration from nature, polymeric vesicles can be formed from amphiphilic block-copolymers. These vesicles are called polymersomes and have applications in drug delivery and as nanoreactors. Within this thesis, photo cross-linked and pH sensitive polymersomes were synthesized, characterized and applied on cells as well as bionanoreactors. The stability due to the crosslinking yielded polymersomes which show a distinct and reproducible swelling upon repeated pH changes. If the non cross-linked vesicles were exposed to a plasma-cleaned surface, they formed a tethered singly and multiple bilayers. Upon studying these membranes, they turned out to harden upon crosslinking and showed a completely non-fluid behaviour. Additionaly, the polymersome-cell interactions were studied and yielded a high influence of the crosslinking conditions on cellular toxicity. If crosslinked for a long time in a phosphate-free enviroment, the polymersomes proved to be least toxic. Finally, an enzyme was incorporated into the polymersomes to create bionanoreactors. Due to the pH sensitivity and swelling, the vesicles created yielded a pH controlled nanoreactor with enzymatic activity and a swollen, e.g. acidic, state only.

L’auto-assemblage de copolymères à blocs amphiphiles est un outil puissant de la chimie supramoléculaire pour la conception de nano-objets complexes et fonctionnels. Dans ces travaux de thèse, l’étude approfondie d’un copolymère à blocs « hybride » synthétique-b-peptidique poly(triméthylène carbonate)-b-poly(acide glutamique) pour des applications de vectorisation a été menée. Des morphologies vésiculaires, obtenues par auto-assemblage en voie « co-solvant » et présentant une grande stabilité ainsi qu’un caractère stimulable ont été mises en évidence. Une transition inédite en température, par des phénomènes de fusion et de fission, a pu être observée. L’encapsulation dans ces vésicules polymères d’un principe actif anti-tumoral et de nanoparticules magnétiques, à des taux très élevés, permet d’améliorer le contraste en IRM ainsi que de moduler la libération de la molécule par une variation des paramètres environnementaux (pH, T) ou par un effet d’hyperthermie magnétique. / Block copolymer self-assembly is a powerful tool within supramolecular chemistry to design smart and functional nano-objects. In this thesis work, comprehensive study of hybrid poly(trimethylene carbonate)-b-poly(glutamic acid) block copolymers for drug delivery applications has been conducted. Highly stable vesicular morphologies presenting stimuli-responsive behaviour were prepared using a solvent-injection method. In particular, original temperature responsiveness mediated by fusion and fission events has been evidenced. Dual loading of an anticancer drug and superparamagnetic nanoparticles in these vesicles, at very high loading contents, allows enhancing MRI contrast and controlling drug release kinetics by varying environmental conditions (pH, T) or by using a magnetic hyperthermia effect.

The demand for multifunctional nanocontainers possessing both recognition ability and responsive nature is increasing greatly because of their high potential in various biomedical applications. The engineering of such smart nanovesicles is useful to enhance the efficiency of many therapeutic and diagnostic tools that have the applicability in targeted drug delivery systems as well as designing sensing devices or conducting selective reactions as nanoreactors in the scope of nanobiotechnology. For this purpose, this study demonstrates the formation of multifunctional and stimuli-responsive polymersomes comprising various abilities including pH and light sensitivity as well as many reactive groups with sufficient accessibility to be used as smart and recognitive nanocontainers. The fabrication included several steps starting from the synthesis of azide and adamantane terminated block copolymers, which were then self-assembled to prepare the polymersomes with the corresponding functional groups for the subsequent post-conjugations at the vesicle periphery. The accessible and sufficiently reactive groups were quantitatively proven when UV and IR cleavable NVOC protected amino groups as well as β-cyclodextrin molecules were conjugated to the pre-formed polymersomes through click chemistry and strong host-guest complexations. The gained light responsivity with the aid of successful NVOC attachment enabled further selective photochemical reactions triggered either by UV or NIR light leading to liberated amine groups on the polymersome surface. Therein, these released amino groups were further conjugated with a model fluorescent compound as mimicking the attachment of biorecognition elements to see the direct picture of the applicability. To realize this concept in a more localized and selective way as well as to avoid the possible side effects of UV light, the NIR-light induced photochemical reactions and further dye coupling were performed when polymersomes were immobilized onto solid substrates. This fixation was achieved by adapting the host-guest chemistry into this part and conjugating the adamantane decorated polymersomes onto β-cyclodextrin coated substrates. Several investigations including adhesion behavior, pH sensitivity and mechanical properties of the established multifunctional polymersomes under liquid phase have been performed. It has been found that the polymersome shape is highly dependent on the attractive forces of the substrate and needs to be optimized to avoid the flattening of the vesicles. For these optimization steps, different conditions were investigated including the decrease of cyclodextrin amount and additional surface passivation with PEG molecules on the solid substrates. Besides, the calculated Young’s and bending modulus of the polymersome membrane from AFM measurements showed a robust but still flexible “breathable” membrane which is an important criterion for the applicability of these smart and stable vesicles. In addition, the hosting ability as well as diffusion limits and sufficient membrane permeability of the polymersomes were observed by encapsulating gold nanoparticles as a smart cargo and doxorubicin molecules as an anticancer drug. In conclusion, the established multifunctional polymersomes are highly versatile and thus present new opportunities in the design of targeted and selective recognition systems which is highly interesting for various applications including development of microsystem devices, design of chemo/biosensors, and also for conducting enhanced, combined therapy in the field of drug delivery.

The demand for multifunctional nanocontainers possessing both recognition ability and responsive nature is increasing greatly because of their high potential in various biomedical applications. The engineering of such smart nanovesicles is useful to enhance the efficiency of many therapeutic and diagnostic tools that have the applicability in targeted drug delivery systems as well as designing sensing devices or conducting selective reactions as nanoreactors in the scope of nanobiotechnology. For this purpose, this study demonstrates the formation of multifunctional and stimuli-responsive polymersomes comprising various abilities including pH and light sensitivity as well as many reactive groups with sufficient accessibility to be used as smart and recognitive nanocontainers. The fabrication included several steps starting from the synthesis of azide and adamantane terminated block copolymers, which were then self-assembled to prepare the polymersomes with the corresponding functional groups for the subsequent post-conjugations at the vesicle periphery. The accessible and sufficiently reactive groups were quantitatively proven when UV and IR cleavable NVOC protected amino groups as well as β-cyclodextrin molecules were conjugated to the pre-formed polymersomes through click chemistry and strong host-guest complexations. The gained light responsivity with the aid of successful NVOC attachment enabled further selective photochemical reactions triggered either by UV or NIR light leading to liberated amine groups on the polymersome surface. Therein, these released amino groups were further conjugated with a model fluorescent compound as mimicking the attachment of biorecognition elements to see the direct picture of the applicability. To realize this concept in a more localized and selective way as well as to avoid the possible side effects of UV light, the NIR-light induced photochemical reactions and further dye coupling were performed when polymersomes were immobilized onto solid substrates. This fixation was achieved by adapting the host-guest chemistry into this part and conjugating the adamantane decorated polymersomes onto β-cyclodextrin coated substrates. Several investigations including adhesion behavior, pH sensitivity and mechanical properties of the established multifunctional polymersomes under liquid phase have been performed. It has been found that the polymersome shape is highly dependent on the attractive forces of the substrate and needs to be optimized to avoid the flattening of the vesicles. For these optimization steps, different conditions were investigated including the decrease of cyclodextrin amount and additional surface passivation with PEG molecules on the solid substrates. Besides, the calculated Young’s and bending modulus of the polymersome membrane from AFM measurements showed a robust but still flexible “breathable” membrane which is an important criterion for the applicability of these smart and stable vesicles. In addition, the hosting ability as well as diffusion limits and sufficient membrane permeability of the polymersomes were observed by encapsulating gold nanoparticles as a smart cargo and doxorubicin molecules as an anticancer drug. In conclusion, the established multifunctional polymersomes are highly versatile and thus present new opportunities in the design of targeted and selective recognition systems which is highly interesting for various applications including development of microsystem devices, design of chemo/biosensors, and also for conducting enhanced, combined therapy in the field of drug delivery.

De nouveaux glycopolymères greffés aux paramètres macromoléculaires contrôlés [dextrane-g-poly(acrylate de diéthylène glycol cholestéryle), Dex-g-PADEGChol] ont été préparés en quatre étapes via la stratégie de synthèse « grafting from». L'originalité de ces glycopolymères réside dans la combinaison, et pour la première fois, d'une dorsale polysaccharide hydrophile biocompatible/ biodégradable et de greffons polymères hydrophobes à caractère mésogène. L'ATRP a été utilisée pour contrôler la croissance des greffons PADEGChol en milieu homogène à partir d'un macroamorceur dérivé de dextrane (DexAcBr). Les conditions de polymérisation avaient été préalablement ajustées en étudiant l'homopolymérisation du monomère ADEGChol en présence d'un amorceur modèle et de plusieurs systèmes catalytiques CuIBr/(PMDETA ou OPMI) dans différents solvants (THF ou toluène). Le caractère amphiphile de ces glycopolymères a été évalué et leurs propriétés mésomorphes ont été étudiées par calorimétrie différentielle à balayage, microscopie optique à lumière polarisante et par diffraction des rayons X. Des études préliminaires par microscope électronique à transmission et diffusion dynamique de la lumière polarisée ont démontré que ces glycopolymères adoptent une morphologie vésiculaire appelée « polymersome » en phase aqueuse, lorsque le DMSO est utilisé comme co-solvant. Ces nano-objets pourront être testés ultérieurement pour la formulation d'un nouveau type de vecteurs de principes actifs / New graft glycopolymers with well-defined parameters [dextran-g-poly(diethylene glycol cholesteryl ether acrylate) (Dex-g-PADEGChol)] have been prepared in four steps using the "grafting from" strategy. Challenge of this work arises from the combination for the first time of a hydrophilic, biocompatible/biodegradable polysaccharide backbone with mesogen hydrophobic polymeric grafts. Controlled growth of the grafts (PADEGChol) was obtained using ATRP initiated in homogeneous medium from a dextran derivative (DexAcBr). In order to find the best polymerization conditions, homopolymerization of ADEGChol monomer was investigated using an initiator model and various catalytic systems CuIBr/(PMDETA or OPMI) in two solvents (Toluene and THF). The amphiphilic properties of such glycopolymers were evaluated and their mesomorphic properties have been studied by thermal polarizing optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray scattering. Using transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering, vesicular morphology called "polymersome" was observed in aqueous medium when DMSO was used as co-solvent. These polymersomes could be tested as new drug delivery systems