RAFT Copolymerization of Thioglycosidic Glycomonomers with NiPAm and Subsequent Immobilization onto Gold Nanoparticles

The synthesis of a new acetyl-protected S-glycosidic mannose glycomonomer is reported as well as the copolymerization with N-isopropyl acrylamide via reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The glycopolymers were deprotected and analyzed via H-1 NMR spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography, elemental analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy as well as asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) coupled with multi-angle laser light scattering (MALLS). Turbidimetric studies revealed the thermoresponsive properties of the glycopolymers. Subsequent immobilization onto gold nanoparticles was achieved without cleavage of the RAFT endgroup, leading to stable glycosylated nanoparticles, which were investigated towards their protein recognition capabilities, revealing that the mannosylated nanoparticles were able to detect the lectin Concanavalin A at very low concentrations.