Entropy-Driven Supramolecular Ring-Opening Polymerization of a Cyclic Hemoglobin Monomer for Constructing a Hemoglobin-PEG Alternating Polymer with Structural Regularity

Biomacromolecules. 2021 May 10;22(5):1944-1954. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.1c00061. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Abstract

Our earlier report described that a cyclic hemoglobin (Hb) monomer with two β subunits of a Hb molecule (α2β2) bound through a flexible polyethylene glycol (PEG) chain undergoes reversible supramolecular ring-opening polymerization (S-ROP) to produce a supramolecular Hb polymer with a Hb-PEG alternating structure. In this work, we polymerized cyclic Hb monomers with different ring sizes (2, 5, 10, or 20 kDa PEG) to evaluate the thermodynamics of S-ROP equilibrium. Quantification of the produced supramolecular Hb polymers and the remaining cyclic Hb monomers in the equilibrium state revealed a negligibly small enthalpy change in S-ROP (ΔHp ≤ 1 kJ·mol-1) and a markedly positive entropy change increasing with the ring size (ΔSp = 26.8-33.2 J·mol-1·K-1). The results suggest an entropy-driven mechanism in S-ROP: a cyclic Hb monomer with the larger ring size prefers to form a supramolecular Hb polymer. The S-ROP used for this study has the potential to construct submicrometer-sized Hb-PEG alternating polymers having structural regularity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Entropy
  • Hemoglobins
  • Polyethylene Glycols*
  • Polymerization
  • Polymers*

Substances

  • Hemoglobins
  • Polymers
  • Polyethylene Glycols