| 초록 |
Azobenzene is a chemical compound featuring two aromatic rings attached through an N=N linkage. Interestingly, upon absorption of light, the aryl units placed at either side of the azo-linkage can change their position and undergo an isomerization process. So far their sensitivity to the naturally occurring enzyme azoreductase, exclusively found in the human intestine, is scarcely used in the preparation of stimuli-responsive and smart materials. In this presentation, we will discuss our efforts in designing soft materials based on the azobenzene motif for potential applications in the arena of drug delivery. To be precise, we will discuss development of a structure/enzyme-sensitivity relationship in the azobenzene polymers. For this, synthetic strategies are developed to access azobenzene monomers with varying patterns of electron donating and withdrawing substituents. The enzyme-assisted azobenzene cleavage rate and efficiency is established as a function of polymer structure. |
