A new pathway towards polymer modified cellulose nanocrystals via a grafting onto process for drug delivery

Poly(ethyl ethylene phosphate) (PEEP) modified cellulose nano-crystals (CNCs) (CNC-g-PEEP) were synthesized through a grafting onto process, in which a combination of ring-opening polymerization (ROP) and Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) click chemistry was utilized. The resulting suspension of negatively-charged CNC-g-PEEP nanocrystals could be used to encapsulate doxorubicin (DOX) by electrostatic interactions and release the drug in the tumor cell environment.