Cyclodextrin polymer nanoassemblies: strategies for stability improvement

The main goal of this work was to develop two strategies for stabilization of nanoassemblies made of β-cyclodextrin polymer and amphiphilic dextran associated through host-guest complexes. The first strategy was to coat the nanoassemblies with a dextran derivative bearing adamantyl anchoring groups and hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide-co-propylene oxide) side chains to increase the steric repulsion between the nanoassemblies. The second strategy developed was to post-reticulate the nanoassemblies upon UV irradiation. Photo-cross-linkable nanoassemblies have been prepared from new host or guest polymers bearing allylether or methacrylate groups. The modified nanoassemblies have been characterized by dynamic light scattering as a function of time and for various salt and competitor concentrations. The results of the first strategy show an improvement of shelf stability and resistance at relatively low concentrations of competitors. The second strategy is the most efficient in providing good shelf stability, much larger than with the first strategy, together with a large resistance to dissociation in presence of competitors.