Highest Efficiency Two-Photon Degradable Copolymer for Remote Controlled Release.

To address the scarcity of polymers that degrade upon absorption of near infrared (NIR) light, we introduce a new polymer containing moieties in its backbone capable of highly efficient NIR-triggered photocleavage. The polymer rapidly undergoes backbone scission in response to both UV-Vis and near infrared light via two-photon absorption, as revealed by gel permeation chromatography. Cleavage of photosensitive groups from the backbone is confirmed by 1H NMR. These polymers were successfully formulated into particles encapsulating a dye that was released upon irradiation with UV-Vis and NIR light, as indicated by changes in fluorescence characteristic of increased solvent interaction with cargo. Thus, this new polymer is readily photocleaved by UV-Vis and NIR light, giving it a variety of potential applications in photopatterning and on-demand release.