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Non-Ionic Fluorosurfactants for Droplet-Based in vivo Applications
Heidi L van de Wouw1,2, Shuo-Ting Yen3,4, Manon Valet3
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, 607 Charles E. Young Drive E., Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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.
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