Biodegradable core crosslinked star polymer nanoparticles as19F MRI contrast agents for selective imaging

• DOI: 10.1039/c3py01311a
• Publication Date: 2013-12-04T19:49:01Z
• Authors: Kewei Wang; Hui Peng; Kristofer J. Thur...; Simon Puttick; Andrew K. Whittaker
• Keywords: Raft; Dispersion polymerization

With the aim of developing stimuli-responsive imaging agents, we report here synthesis core crosslinked star (CCS) polymers and their evaluation as pH-sensitive 19F magnetic resonance (19F MRI) contrast agents. Block copolymers consisting poly(ethylene glycol)methyl ether methacrylate (PPEGMA) first block a copolymer 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl (DMAEMA) 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl (TFEMA) second were synthesised using RAFT polymerisation. The polymerisation kinetics studied in detail. then used arm precursors for arm-first CCS through dispersion synthetic conditions investigated optimised. with degradable also evaluated MRI degradation was confirmed by treatment various reducing particle size, NMR signal relaxation times well performance at range value solution pH. Significant enhancement image intensity observed when pH decreased from 8 to 5, indicating that nanoparticles could be agents detection acidic environment within tumour tissue.