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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 May 2012
A synthetic strategy to couple selectively an ionic complementary thiolmodified octapeptide, that is able to gel at low temperature, to thethermoresponsive polymer poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAAm) withcontrolled molecular weight and narrow polydispersity is described. Thepolymer was synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP)affording halogen functionalized chain ends. This allowed subsequentcoupling to a thiol terminated ionic complementary octapeptide via nucleophile substitution. Results indicated that thepeptide was covalently attached to the polymer and that both thecoil-globule phase transition of pNIPAAm and the gelation properties of thepeptide were retained in the conjugated product. This method provides aversatile route for the synthesis of a range of bioconjugate materials withcontrolled architecture and dual self-assembling and thermoresponsivebehavior.