Grafted polymethacrylate nanocarriers in drug delivery

This chapter introduces the nanocarriers based on amphiphilic graft copolymers, which have found applications in drug delivery systems. The perspectives of the common polymerization methods and grafting techniques used for their preparation as well as their smart behaviors are briefly highlighted. A full discussion is provided for the group of copolymers containing poly(meth)acrylate backbone with polyether, polyester, or poly(meth)acrylate grafts, including molecular brushes, heterografted, and blockgrafted copolymers. The discussion is extended for the extra structures, where the graft poly(meth)acrylate is combined with linear segment or disulfide linker is incorporated. These advanced polymers with specific architectures and highly adjustable properties provide a new quality for fascinating functional materials in the form of solutions, films, and melts. The potential applications are not only limited to biomedical systems for drug delivery, and/or tumor detection and imaging, but they also include catalysis, antifouling coatings, lithographic patterning, lithium-ion batteries, photonics, and nanotechnology.