Our group has reported the very first polymer micelle that can be reversibly dissociated and formed using light (Macromolecules 2004). Since then, we have published a series of papers  (see the list below) and established the general design principles based on light-changeable amphiphilicity and reversible photocrosslinking for light-controllable polymer micelles. This achievement is of fundamental importance since it contributes to the basis for the development of photocontrollable polymer nanocarriers in view of controlled delivery applications. We pursue this project.

Publications on this topic:

(1)    G. Wang, X. Tong, Y. Zhao “Preparation of Azobenzene-Containing Amphiphilic Diblock Copolymers for Light-Responsive Micellar Aggregates” Macromolecules, 2004, 37, 8911-8917.

(2)    J. Jiang, X. Tong, Y. Zhao “A New Design for Light-Breakable Polymer Micelles” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 8290-8291.

(3)    X. Tong, G. Wang, A. Soldera, Y. Zhao, “How Can Azobenzene Block Copolymer Vesicles Dissociated and Reformed by Light?”, J. Phys, Chem. B 2005, 109, 20281-20287.

(4)    J. Jiang, X. Tong, D. Morris, Y. Zhao, “Toward Photocontrolled Release Using Light-Dissociable Block Copolymer Micelles”, Macromolecules 2006, 39, 4633-3640.

(5)    J. Jiang, B. Qi, M. Lepage, Y. Zhao, “Polymer Micelles Stabilization-on-Demand through Reversible Photocrosslinking”, Macromolecules 2007,40, 790-792. (one of the “Most-Accessed Articles” for Macromolecules in 2007).

(6)    Y. Zhao, “Rational Design of Light-Controllable Polymer Micelles”, Chemical Record 2007, 7, 286-294 (invited Highlight article)

(7)    J. Babin, M. Lepage, Y. Zhao, “"Decoration" of Shell-Crosslinked Reverse Polymer Micelles Using ATRP: A New Route to Stimuli-Responsive Nanoparticles", Macromolecules, 2008, 41, 1246-1253