Design and synthesis of monosaccharide functionalized conjugated polymers, polyrotaxanes and oligomers for biological applications

In this work, the design, synthesis and characterization of fluorescent, water-soluble, multivalent glycoconjugates for their potential applications in active-targetted cellular theranostics through receptor-mediated endocytosis are presented. Gluco-functionalized thiophene monomers are utilized for the pre-functionalized Suzuki coupling polymerization of glycopolythiophenes and glycopolythiophenerotaxanes. The pre-functionalized glycopolythiophenerotaxane synthesis route was designed to provide in situ complexation between boronic ester thiophene monomer and water-soluble macrocycle cucurbit[7]uril, for the Suzuki coupling with the glycothiophene monomer in water. Red emitting oligomers carrying azide groups were utilized for the synthesis of post-functionalized glycoconjugate oligomers. These functionalizations were carried through 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (click reaction) between azide groups and alkyne-functionalized monosaccharides (mannose or glucose). Structural and photophysical properties of glycopolythiophenes were investigated through ¹H-NMR, UV-VIS, and Fluorescence Spectroscopy. Monomers in synthetic steps were analysed through ¹H-NMR, IR, and ¹³C-NMR. Structural, photophysical and morphological properties of red oligomers were investigated through ¹H-NMR, HRMS-TOF, DLS, SEM.