Molecular Recognition‐Mediated Transformation of Single‐Chain Polymer Nanoparticles into Crosslinked Polymer Films

We describe single-chain polymer nanoparticles (SCNPs) possessing intramolecular dynamic covalent crosslinks that can transform into polymer films through a molecular recognition-mediated crosslinking process. The SCNPs utilize molecular recognition with surface-immobilized proteins to concentrate themselves upon a substrate, bringing the SCNPs into close spatial proximity with one another and allowing their dynamic covalent crosslinkers to undergo intra-to interpolymer chain crosslinking leading to the formation of polymeric film. This new approach to polymer film formation presents a potential method to 'wrap' surfaces displaying molecular recognition motifs—which could potentially include viral, cellular and bacterial surfaces or designed artificial surfaces displaying multivalent recognition motifs—within a layer of polymer film.