Design of Thermoresponsive Polyamine Cross-Linked Perfluoropolyether Hydrogels for Imaging and Delivery Applications

DOI

10.1021/acsmedchemlett.0c00198

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

10-8-2020

Publication Title

ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters

Volume

11

Issue

10

First Page

2032

Last Page

2040

Keywords

19 F magnetic resonance imaging, Hydrogel, perfluorocarbon, perfluoropolyether, polyethylenimine

Abstract

Perfluorocarbons are versatile compounds with applications in 19F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and chemical conjugation to drugs and pH sensors. We present a novel thermoresponsive perfluorocarbon emulsion hydrogel that can be detected by 19F MRI. The developed hydrogel contains perfluoro(polyethylene glycol dimethyl ether) (PFPE) emulsion droplets that are stabilized through ionic cross-linking with polyethylenimine (PEI). Specifically, PFPE ester undergoes hydrolysis upon contact with aqueous PEI solution, resulting in an ionic bond between the PFPE acid and charged PEI amino groups. Due to the ionic nature of the PFPE/PEI bond, potassium buffer is required to preserve the hydrogel's pH and rheological and emulsion droplet stability. The presence of the surface cross-linked PFPE droplets does not affect the hydrogel's rheological behavior, drug loading, or drug release, and the hydrogel is nontoxic. We propose that the presented hydrogel can be adapted to a broad range of biomedical imaging and delivery applications.

Open Access

Green Final

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