Non-Ionic Fluorosurfactants for Droplet-Based in vivo Applications

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

Fluorocarbon oils are uniquely suited for many biomedical applications due to their inert, bioorthogonal properties. In order to interface fluorocarbon oils with biological systems, non-ionic fluorosurfactants are necessary. However, there is a paucity of non-ionic fluorosurfactants with low interfacial tension (IFT) to stabilize fluorocarbon phases in aqueous environments (such as oil-in-water emulsions). We developed non-ionic fluorosurfactants composed of a polyethylene glycol (PEG) segment covalently bonded to a flexible perfluoropolyether (PFPE) segment that confer low IFTs between a fluorocarbon oil (HFE-7700) and water. The synthesis of a panel of surfactants spanning a molecular weight range of 0.64–66 kDa with various hydrophilic-lipophilic balances allowed for identification of minimal IFTs, ranging from 1.4 to 17.8 mN m−1. The majority of these custom fluorosurfactants display poor solubility in water, allowing their co-introduction with fluorocarbon oils and minimal leaching. We applied the PEG5PFPE1 surfactant for mechanical force measurements in zebrafish, enabling exceptional sensitivity.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere202404956
JournalAngewandte Chemie - International Edition
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 27 Sept 2024
Peer-reviewedYes

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • fluorosurfactant, in vivo force sensing, microdroplets, perfluoropolyether, surfactant