Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
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Figure 5.2
Primary approaches to terminal group replacement.
achieving the goal of functionalization. Inclusion in the cavities endows HBPs
unique functions, making this hybrid modification of HBPs more reliable for
the merits of exterior components and the interactions between them, which
are not exclusively polymeric backbones. The backbones of HBPs can act as a
template, or rather a nanoreactor to prepare these functional particles, and vice
versa. At present, functional inorganic ions or nanoparticles, luminescent
organic molecules, and new functional polymers are continually being
developed, and meanwhile the hybrid approaches of HBPs and other
components are expanding their own niche, enriching the family of exterior
functional matters and topological complexity. Therefore, hybrid modification
has been highlighted in many recent reports on biodetection and imaging. For
instance, quantum dots and magnetic particles have already been added to the
cavities of HBPs, achieving the functions of biodetection
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and magnetofection
in vitro as magnetic nonviral gene vectors,
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respectively.
5.2.2.3 Backbone Modification
Backbone modification differs from the previously mentioned modification
approaches, because this method focuses on altering the intrinsic character-
istics of HBPs instead of introducing the exterior components into the original
systems. In order to implement the backbone modification of HBPs, the
elaborate selection of both suitable monomers and effective polymerization
methods are required to attain the orchestrated molecular architectures. Both
functional monomers and nonfunctional monomers are capable of achieving
functional HBPs by means of certain polymerization methods. In general, not
only the functional groups of monomers but also their arrangement have a
great impact on the functional behavior of HBPs. The functionality resulting
