Design and synthesis of perfluorinated amphiphilic copolymers: Smart nanomicelles for theranostic applications
(4727-4735) Polymer 52 #21 (2011)
Pandey et al , Massachusetts and India, developed carrier molecules with multiple applications including drug encapsulation, drug delivery and diagnosis (imaging). Copolymers were synthesized using dimethyl 5-hydroxy/aminoisophthalate, poly(ethylene glycols) and Candida antarctica lipase (CAL-B, Novozym 435).  CAL-B selectively catalyses the trans esterification reaction under solvent-less conditions using primary hydroxyls of poly(ethylene glycols) and leaving behind phenolic hydroxyl for post polymerization modifications.  The obtained copolymers were further tethered with perfluorinated aliphatic chains to make them amphiphilic.  Perfluorinated amphiphilic copolymers could encapsulate up to 14% (by wt) of hydrophobic drug and showed decent 19F NMR signals even at a very low concentration.  (RDC 10/6/2011)

Tunable Amphiphilic Poly(Ether-Anhydride) Gel Nanoparticles for the Delivery of Hydrophobic Drugs
(167–178)Macromolecular Symposia 297 #1 (2010)
Wang, Cai and Guo of the Tianjin University, China prepared biodegradable amphiphilic poly(ether-anhydride) gel nanoparticles (GNPs) with a hydrophobic crosslinked core and a hydrophilic PEG shell from amphiphilic photo-crosslinkable ether-anhydride macromers via microemulsion photo-polymerization.  The particles were spherical in shape with a core-shell structure when maromers were added.  The particles showed zero-order release behavior, which is potentially useful to control the release of hydrophobic drugs. (RDC 1/17/2011)

Self-assembled vesicles of amphiphilic poly(dimethylsiloxane)-b-poly(ethylene glycol) copolymers as nanotanks for hydrophobic drugs  
(1-8) Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects 372 #1-3 (2010)
Li, Li Wan and Hou of Qingdao University of Science and Technology, China synthesized amphiphilic copolymers of poly(dimethylsiloxane)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PDMS-b-PEG) to form nanospheres in the mixed solvent of THF and water.  The hydrophobic domain of the obtained nanospheres could encapsulate hydrophobic drugs serving as water-soluble hydrophobic nanotanks. (RDC 12/6/2010)