(Nitrilotriacetic Acid)-End-Functionalized Polystyrenes Synthesized by ATRP

摘要

The synthesis of nitrilotriacetic acid end-functionalized polystyrenes (NTA-PS) using t-butyl protected NTA initiators via atom transfer radial polymerization (ATRP) of styrene is described. The protected t-butyl group is subsequently removed at the ?-chain end of polystyrene. After complexation of NTA chain ends of the polystyrenes with Ni~(2+) to produce Ni-NTA-PS, conjugation with (six histidine-tagged green fluorescent protein) His6-GFP via Ni~(2+)/histidine (His) interaction and the self-assembly of the resulted bioconjugate are studied. Highly mesoporous NTA-PS fibers are also produced by taking advantage of interpenetrating phase separation between PS and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) during electrospinning. The specific interaction of Ni~(2+)-complexed NTA-PS fibers with His enables to immobilize and purify only target proteins from highly heterogeneous protein mixtures.