SuFEx Click: New Materials from SOx F and Silyl Ethers.

New forms of click chemistry present new opportunities in materials science. Sulfur(VI) fluoride exchange (SuFEx) is a recently discovered click reaction between molecules containing SOx F groups and silyl ethers, two functionalities that are orthogonal to all other known click chemistries, that generates sulfate or sulfonate connections upon the addition of certain organobases or fluoride sources. SuFEx also has several important advantages over other click reactions in that it is insensitive to ambient oxygen and water, and its precursor materials, especially SOx F, are chemically, UV, and thermally inert. This Concept article focuses on the unique reactivity of SuFEx and its relation to building high molecular weight polymers and surface coatings, both of which make it a powerful new tool for materials science.

Multifunctional Surface Manipulation Using Orthogonal Click Chemistry.

Polymer brushes are excellent substrates for the covalent immobilization of a wide variety of molecules due to their unique physicochemical properties and high functional group density. By using reactive microcapillary printing, poly(pentafluorophenyl acrylate) brushes with rapid kinetic rates toward aminolysis can be partially patterned with other click functionalities such as strained cyclooctyne derivatives and sulfonyl fluorides. This trireactive surface can then react locally and selectively in a one pot reaction via three orthogonal chemistries at room temperature: activated ester aminolysis, strain promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition, and sulfur(VI) fluoride exchange, all of which are tolerant of ambient moisture and oxygen. Furthermore, we demonstrate that these reactions can also be used to create areas of morphologically distinct surface features on the nanoscale, by inducing buckling instabilities in the films and the grafting of nanoparticles. This approach is modular, and allows for the development of highly complex surface motifs patterned with different chemistry and morphology.

SuFEx on the Surface: A Flexible Platform for Postpolymerization Modification of Polymer Brushes.

Polymer brushes present a unique architecture for tailoring surface functionalities due to their distinctive physicochemical properties. However, the polymerization chemistries used to grow brushes place limitations on the monomers that can be grown directly from the surface. Several forms of click chemistry have previously been used to modify polymer brushes by postpolymerization modification with high efficiency, however, it is usually difficult to include the unprotected moieties in the original monomer. We present the use of a new form of click chemistry known as SuFEx (sulfur(VI) fluoride exchange), which allows a silyl ether to be rapidly and quantitatively clicked to a polymer brush grown by free-radical polymerization containing native -SO2F groups with rapid pseudo-first-order rates as high as 0.04 s(-1). Furthermore, we demonstrate the use of SuFEx to facilely add a variety of other chemical functional groups to brush substrates that have highly useful and orthogonal reactivity, including alkynes, thiols, and dienes.

Durable defense: robust and varied attachment of non-leaching poly"-onium" bactericidal coatings to reactive and inert surfaces.

Developing antimicrobial coatings to eliminate biotic contamination is a critical need for all surfaces, including medical, industrial, and domestic materials. The wide variety of materials used in these fields, from natural polymers to metals, require coatings that not only are antimicrobial, but also contain different surface chemistries for covalent immobilization. Alkyl "-onium" salts are potent biocides that have defied bacterial resistance mechanisms when confined to an interface. In this feature article, we highlight the various methods used to covalently immobilize bactericidal polymers to different surfaces and further examine the mechanistic aspects of biocidal action with these surface bound poly"-onium" salts.

Improved intratumoral nanoparticle extravasation and penetration by mild hyperthermia.

Accumulation of nanoparticles in solid tumors depends on their extravasation. However, vascular permeability is very heterogeneous within a tumor and among different tumor types, hampering efficient delivery. Local hyperthermia at a tumor can improve nanoparticle delivery by increasing tumor vasculature permeability, perfusion and interstitial fluid flow. The aim of this study is to investigate hyperthermia conditions required to improve tumor vasculature permeability, subsequent liposome extravasation and interstitial penetration in 4 tumor models. Tumors are implanted in dorsal skin flap window chambers and observed for liposome (~85 nm) accumulation by intravital confocal microscopy. Local hyperthermia at 41°C for 30 min initiates liposome extravasation through permeable tumor vasculature in all 4 tumor models. A further increase in nanoparticle extravasation occurs while continuing heating to 1h, which is a clinically relevant duration. After hyperthermia, the tumor vasculature remains permeable for 8h. We visualize gaps in the endothelial lining of up to 10 µm induced by HT. Liposomes extravasate through these gaps and penetrate into the interstitial space to at least 27.5 µm in radius from the vessel walls. Whole body optical imaging confirms HT induced extravasation while liposome extravasation was absent at normothermia. In conclusion, a thermal dose of 41°C for 1h is effective to induce long-lasting permeable tumor vasculature for liposome extravasation and interstitial penetration. These findings hold promise for improved intratumoral drug delivery upon application of local mild hyperthermia prior to administration of nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems.