Hollow Polymeric Capsules from POSS-Based Block Copolymer for Photodynamic Therapy

A novel amphiphilic diblock copolymer, PHEMAPOSS-b-P(DMAEMA-co-CMA), was prepared via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, where PHEMAPOSS block was first synthesized using a methacrylate monomer based on polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (HEMAPOSS), and PHEMAPOSS was further utilized to prepare the block copolymer via RAFT copolymerization of 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and reduction-cleavable coumarin methacrylate (CMA) monomer. PHEMAPOSS-b-P(DMAEMA-co-CMA) could self-assemble in water to form spherical micelles with POSS core and stimuli-responsive shell. The micelles were cross-linked by photodimerization of coumarin, and then hollo…