Synthesis and characterization of perfluoro-tert-butyl semifluorinated amphiphilic polymers and their potential application in hydrophobic drug delivery.

ABSTRACT: Semifluorinated polymer surfactants, composed of a monomethyl poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) hydrophilic head group and either 1, 2, or 3 perfluoro-tert-butyl (PFtB) groups as the fluorophilic tail, were synthesized, and their aqueous self-assemblies were investigated as a potential design for theranostic nanoparticles. Polymers with three PFtB groups (PFtB_TRI) solely formed stable, spherical micelles, approximately 12 nm in size. These PFtB_TRI surfactants demonstrate similar characteristics with those of polymers with linear perfluorocarbon tails, despite large differences in tail structure. For example, PFtB polymer solutions stably emulsified 20 v/v% sevoflurane with perfluorooctyl bromide (PFOB) as a stabilizer. However, these PFtB polymers have the additiona

SUBMITTER: Decato S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4217224 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature