Polymersomes with engineered ion selective permeability as stimuli-responsive nanocompartments with preserved architecture

Following a biomimetic approach, we present here polymer vesicles (polymersomes) with ion selective permeability, achieved by inserting gramicidin (gA) biopores in their membrane. Encapsulation of pH-, Na+- and K+- sensitive dyes inside the polymersome cavity was used to assess the proper insertion and functionality of gA inside the synthetic membrane. A combination of light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy was used to show that neither the size, nor the morphology of the polymersomes was affected by successful insertion of gA in the polymer membrane. Interestingly, proper insertion and functionality of gA were demonstrated for membranes with thicknesses in the range 9.2-12.1 nm, which are significantly greater than membrane lipid counterparts. Both polymersomes with sizes around 100 nm and giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) with inserted gA exhibited efficient time response to pH- and ions and therefore are ideal candidates for designing nanoreactors or biosensors for a variety of applications in which changes in the environment, such as variations of ionic concentration or pH, are required.