Surface modification of polymeric vesicles via host-guest inclusion complexation.

We have prepared a novel kind of building block (CD-PI-CD) of polyether imide (PI) with beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) at the both ends that self-assembles into vesicles in water. The vesicles are "reactive" in supramolecular chemistry because the host groups of beta-CD equally distribute on the inside and outside surfaces of the vesicles. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and static light scattering (SLS) studies demonstrate that both the inner and outer surfaces of the vesicles can be further modified noncovalently with adamantane-ended polyethlene glycol (Ada-PEG) via a host-guest inclusion interaction between beta-CD and adamantane.