Development of Perfluoro Decalin/Fluorinated Polyimide Core-Shell Microparticles via SPG Membrane Emulsification
Qiming Zhang1, Natsuko F Inagaki1,2, Arvind K Singh Chandel1
1Department of Chemical System Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
ACS Omega
|May 20, 2024
Summary
Researchers developed novel core-shell microparticles using a new cosolvent system. These red blood cell-inspired particles encapsulate perfluorodecalin (FDC) within a fluorinated polyimide (FPI) shell for enhanced oxygen delivery in biomedical applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Perfluorocarbon-encapsulated core-shell particles are promising for biomedical applications, particularly for oxygen delivery.
- Perfluorodecalin (FDC) offers high oxygen solubility but is challenging to incorporate into core-shell structures due to its poor solubility in organic solvents.
- Fluorinated polyimide (FPI) is a suitable material for the shell due to its oxygen permeability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel cosolvent system capable of dissolving both FDC and FPI.
- To successfully synthesize FDC-encapsulated FPI shell microparticles using the developed system.
- To evaluate the characteristics and performance of the fabricated microparticles for biomedical applications.
Main Methods:
- Systematic phase diagram study to identify a suitable cosolvent system (dichloromethane and heptafluoropropyl methyl ether).
- Utilizing Shirasu porous glass (SPG) membrane emulsification for microparticle fabrication.
- Demonstrating oxygenation capabilities using hypoxia-responsive HeLa cells.
Main Results:
- A novel cosolvent system of dichloromethane (DCM) and heptafluoropropyl methyl ether (HFPME) was identified, enabling homogeneous dissolution of FDC and FPI.
- Successfully fabricated monodisperse FDC-encapsulated FPI shell microparticles for the first time.
- The microparticles demonstrated excellent stability, biocompatibility, and significant oxygen carrying capacity, confirmed by cell-based oxygenation studies.
Conclusions:
- The developed cosolvent system and SPG emulsification technique provide a viable method for creating FDC-encapsulated FPI core-shell microparticles.
- These novel microparticles show great potential for biomedical applications requiring efficient oxygen delivery.
- The study overcomes previous solubility limitations, paving the way for advanced oxygen carriers.
