Multicomponent polymeric micelles based on polyaspartamide as tunable fluorescent pH-window biosensors

Abstract PHEA-PEG 5000 -C 16 is a polyaspartamide polymer with appended hydrophilic PEG 5000 functions and hydrophobic n-C 16 units forming biocompatible micelles with a CAC as low as 1.8 × 10 −7  M. The protonation and acidity constants of the polymer's amino and carboxylic groups have been determined by potentiometric titrations at five different concentrations higher than CAC, finding concentration-independent values. Viscosity and polarity of the micellar core have been investigated by means of fluorescent probes, finding local values comparable to those of pure toluene and to the core of sodium dodecyl sulphate micelles, independently on the protonation degree of the polymer. The fluor…