Binding Bacteria to Highly Branched Poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) Modified with Vancomycin Induces the Coil-to-Globule Transition

摘要

It is well-known that at temperatures below the lower critical solution temperature (LCST), stimulus-responsive polymers in water are solvated in an open-coil form. However, when the temperature is raised to the LCST [32℃ for linear poly(N-isopropylacry-lamide) (PNIPAM)], the polymer becomes desolvated and switches to a more compact conformation. This coil-to-globule transition is the basis of emergent sensing devices, drug delivery systems, and various new tools in biotechnology. In view of current difficulties in clinical management of infections, developing responses of devices to biological entities is a highly desirable goal. However, few examples of coil-to-globule transitions in response to binding have been reported.