Polymer based nanomaterials have received much interest due to their wide range of applications. It is particularly appealing to extend the applications in analytical chemistry for living biosystems to utilize the merits of polymer based nanomaterials.

Recently, a series of stimuli-responsive polymer materials have been synthesized and studied by Qi’s group. Firstly, a kind of thermal sensitive block copolymer with fluorescent molecule has been prepared and applied in the intracellular temperature sensing. Then, using ATRP polymerization method, magnetic nanoparticles modified with PGMA have been synthesized. Utilized the multi-anchor groups of PGMA, the fluorescent molecules and cancer cell targeting moiety have been modified on the surface of the nanomaterials. Further, the magnetic nanomaterials have been applied in the cancer cells imaging study as shown in Fig. 1 (Journal of Materials Chemistry, 2012, 22, 11543-11549；Chemistry-A European Journal, 2012, 18, 13755-13761).

Fig. 1. Study of PGMA magnetic nanomateials for cancer cells imaging

Moreover, RAFT polymerization methods have been used for the synthesis of PNAS (Fig. 2). Then, the fluorescent nano gold cluster and cancer cell targeting moiety have been combined to the PNAS. By using this nanomaterial, the cancer cells targeting and imaging have been realized successfully (Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2013, 49, 249-255; Chemical Communications, 2013, DOI: 10.1039/C3CC44256J). These methods have paved the new way of preparing polymer and polymer modified nanomaterials, optical-imaging-based cancer detection, targeted drug delivery for cancer treatment and early tumor diagnosis.

Fig. 2. Study of PNAS nanomateials for cancer cells imaging