Synthesis of degradable organic nanotubes by bottlebrush molecular templating

Degradable organic nanotubes were synthesized by a single-molecule templating of core-shell bottlebrush copolymers composed of an etchable inner block (polylactide) and a functional outer block (poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride)). The pendant mercapto groups generated along the outer block chains by reacting the anhydride groups with cysteamine were oxidized to disulfide groups acting as degradable cross-linking units in the shell layer. Subsequent hydrolytic removal of the polyester inner core provided hollow organic nanotubes held together by disulfide groups as crosslinkers. The cleavage of disulfide linkers by reaction with dithiothreitol resulted in a complete disintegration of nanotube structures into small fragments.