Hyperbranched polymeric micelles for encapsulation and delivery of hydrophobic molecules

A hydrophobic molecule encapsulated in a polymer, said polymer having a structure selected from the group consisting of:

• R(—O—R1)x and R(—NH—R1)x
• wherein R(—O—)x, is a polyol moiety and R(—NH)x is a polyamine moiety, with x being between 2 and 10, inclusive, and each R1 independently has the structure:
• —(—C(═O)—R2—NH—)y—(—C(═O)—R3—C(═O)—)z—R4
• wherein
• —C(═O)—R2—NH— is a divalent amino acid moiety with R2 being a covalent bond or having from 1-8 carbon atoms, and y and z are between 0 and 10 inclusive, provided y and z are not both 0;
• wherein
• —C(═O)—R3—C(═O)— is a divalent dicarboxylic acid moiety in which R3 is an alkylene or cycloalkylene group containing from 1 to 15 carbon atoms, substituted with a total of from 1 to about 10 hydroxyl groups, with at least a portion of the hydroxyl groups being acylated with from 3 to about 24 carbon atom carboxylic acids;
• R4 is a poly(alkylene oxide) having the structure:
• R5—(R6—O—)a—R6—Q—
• R5 is selected from the group consisting of 1 to 40 carbon atom alkyl groups, —OH, —OR7, —NH2, —NHR7, —NHR7R8, —C—OH, —C—OR7, —C—O—C—R7, —C—NH2, —C—NHR7 and —C—NR7R8;
• R6, R7 and R8 are independently selected from the group consisting of 2 to 40 carbon atom, straight-chain or branched alkylene groups,
• Q is a divalent linkage moiety;
• and
• a is between 2 and 110, inclusive;
• provided that when y is 0 and R is a 1,1,1-tris(hydroxyphenyl)ethane moiety, the divalent dicarboxylic acid moiety is not an acylated mucic acid moiety.