Temperature and Photo Dual‐Stimuli Responsive Block Copolymer Self‐Assembly Micelles for Cellular Controlled Drug Release

Abstract To well adapt to the complicated physiological environments, it is necessary to engineer dual‐ and/or multi‐stimuli responsive drug carriers for more effective drug release. For this, a novel temperature responsive lateral chain photosensitive block copolymer, poly[(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐ co ‐N,N‐dimethylacrylamide) ‐ block ‐propyleneacylalkyl‐4‐azobenzoate] (P(NIPAM‐ co ‐DMAA)‐ b ‐PAzoHPA), is synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization. The structure is characterized by 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry and laser light scattering gel chromatography system. The self‐assembly behavior, morphology, and sizes of micelles are investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope, and laser particle analyzer. Dual responsiveness to light and temperature is explored by ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy. The results show that the copolymer micelles take on apparent light and temperature dual responsiveness, and its lower critical solution temperature (LCST) is above 37 °C, and changes with the trans‐/cis‐ isomerization of azobenzene structure under UV irradiation. The blank copolymers are nontoxic, whereas the paclitaxel (PTX)‐loaded counterparts possessed comparable anticancer activities to free PTX, with entrapment efficiency of 83.7%. The PTX release from the PTX‐loaded micelles can be mediated by changing temperature and/or light stimuli. The developed block copolymers can potentially be used for cancer therapy as drug controlled release carriers.