Fluorescent Vesicles Consisting of Galactose-based Amphiphilic Copolymers with a π-Conjugated Sequence Self-assembled in Water

Fluorescent vesicles considered as a mimic of natural primitive cells are prepared from poly(3‐hexylthiophene)‐block‐poly(3‐O‐methacryloyl‐D‐galactopyranose) P3HT‐b‐PMAGP copolymers. The unique characteristic of such vesicular nanostructures is their architecture, which comprises a hydrophobic π‐conjugated P3HT wall stabilized by a hydrophilic PMAGP interface featuring glucose units. The results of this work offer a very efficient and straightforward method for engineering well‐controlled fluorescent nanoparticles (without the addition of dyes), which provide an excellent support to the study of carbohydrate‐protein interactions. Copolymer vesicles with intrinsic fluorescent properties are obtained by self‐assembly of π‐conjugated poly(3‐hexylthiophene) chains coupled to poly(3‐O‐methacryloyl‐D‐galactopyranose) carbohydrate‐based segments. Considered a mimic of natural primitive cells, these structures provide an excellent support to the study of carbohydrate‐protein interactions.