A pH-sensitive and biodegradable supramolecular hydrogel constructed from a PEGylated polyphosphoester-doxorubicin prodrug and α-cyclodextrin

Abstract

An acid-labile and PEGylated polyphosphoester-doxorubicin prodrug (PBYP-g-PEG-g-DOX) was prepared via a combination of ring-opening polymerization (ROP) and Cu(I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) “click” chemistry. The resulting multifunctional prodrug was then used to interact with α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) to fabricate a novel supramolecular hydrogel based on inclusion complexation.