title: Biocompatible fluorinated polyglycerols for droplet microfluidics as an alternative to PEG-based copolymer surfactants.
abstract: In droplet-based microfluidics, non-ionic, high-molecular weight surfactants are required to stabilize droplet interfaces. One of the most common structures that imparts stability as well as biocompatibility to water-in-oil droplets is a triblock copolymer surfactant composed of perfluoropolyether (PFPE) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) blocks. However, the fast growing applications of microdroplets in biology would benefit from a larger choice of specialized surfactants. PEG as a hydrophilic moiety, however, is a very limited tool in surfactant modification as one can only vary the molecular weight and chain-end functionalization. In contrast, linear polyglycerol offers further side-chain functionalization to create custom-tailored, biocompatible droplet interfaces. Herein, we describe the synthesis and characterization of polyglycerol-based triblock surfactants with tailored side-chain composition, and exemplify their application in cell encapsulation and in vitro gene expression studies in droplet-based microfluidics.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustrasse 3, 14195 Berlin, Germany. olaf.wagner@fu-berlin.de haag@chemie.fu-berlin.de.
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thiele
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weinhart
authors.forename: Linas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mazutis
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Weitz
authors.forename: Wilhelm T S
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Huck
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haag
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004987:Ethers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D020014:K562 Cells; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation; D015394:Molecular Structure; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010316:Particle Size; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D013499:Surface Properties; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004987:Ethers; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; C078113:perfluoropolyether; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols