Galactose-Functional RAFT Agent for Biorelevant Polymeric Materials

Abstract

In this work, we report a novel chain transfer agent (CTA) derived from d-galactose and evaluate its potential as a reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) agent. Using this galactose-based CTA, Gal-RAFT, both hydrophilic and hydrophobic monomers were successfully polymerized, yielding amphiphilic polymers, demonstrating its broad applicability. Additionally, we investigated the optimal reaction conditions, including initiator type, concentration, solvent, and temperature. The resulting galactose-containing amphiphilic polymer, Gal-pDMAEMA-b-pBzMA, self-assembled into polymeric nanoparticles (<150 nm, Dh) in aqueous media. These amphiphilic polymeric nanoparticles were characterized and evaluated for biorelevance, with lectin-binding studies demonstrating surface biofunctionalization and selective molecular recognition. Results of this study aid in establishing a versatile synthetic platform for end-functional macromolecules that enables next-generation design of bioactive and functionally adaptive polymeric materials.