The aim of this work was to generate fluorescent polymer-polypeptide conjugates by employing controlled radical polymerisation and click chemistry techniques.
A set of polymers containing a 2,3-dithiophenolmaleimide moiety was prepared utilising single electron transfer living radical polymerisation (SET-LRP) and postpolymerisation modification reactions, including copper-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAc) reaction. All products were characterised with IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, GPC and MALDI-ToF.
The functionalised polymers were conjugated to salmon calcitonin (sCT) polypeptide in aqueous conditions utilising thiol-exchange reaction. The reactions were monitored with RP-HPLC containing UV and fluorescence detectors.
The couplings were successful and fluorescent polymer-sCT conjugates were obtained.
However, the postpolymerisation modifications of certain polymers still requires optimising, and the conjugation procedure needs be altered so that also more hydrophobic polymers can be conjugated to sCT.
