Saccharide- and temperature-responsive polymer brushes grown on gold nanoshells for controlled release of diols

A general approach to endow gold nanoshells a new function of controlled release was established by coating stimulus-responsive polymers on their surfaces via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. Incorporating boronic acid groups in polymer brushes, the controlled release of Alizarin Red S (ARS) was dynamically shown, through reversible covalent binding between boronic acid and diol.