title: A Dendritic Supramolecular Complex as Uniform Hybrid Micelle with Dual Structure for Bimodal In Vivo Imaging.
abstract: In this study, a uniform complex dual micelle bearing a gadolinium-substituted polyoxometalate core, a hydrophobic middle, and a biocompatible organic shell, which exhibits a uniform size and definite molecular weight and chemical composition, is constructed through a simple two-step process for use as a fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent. A paramagnetic polyoxometalate cluster, K13[Gd(β2-SiW11O39)2], is first encapsulated with a cationic 3-generation dendron (D-3) bearing triethylene glycol monomethyl ether terminal groups through ionic substitution. The formed electrostatic complex, (D-3)13[Gd(β2-SiW11O39)2] (D-GdSiW), which displays an ambivalent micellar structure, is then demonstrated to act as a suitable carrier for the uptake of cationic fluorescent dyes, forming a loaded complex. The dye-loaded complex D-GdSiW-D is thus proven to display high relaxivity as a contrast agent, maintaining its structural stability under physiological conditions with low cell cytotoxicity. Confocal laser scanning microscopic observation also demonstrates the fluorescence imaging property of the prepared complex upon consumption by MCF-7 cells. Both in vivo fluorescence imaging and MRI further confirm that the complex micelle with dual micellar structure may be a suitable liver-specific contrast agent for clinical diagnosis.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, P. R. China.
authors: Simin
authors: S
authors: Zhang
authors: State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, P. R. China.
authors: Yanmei
authors: Y
authors: Zheng
authors: State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, P. R. China.
authors: Shengyan
authors: S
authors: Yin
authors: Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization of the Ministry of Education of China, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China.
authors: Jingzhi
authors: J
authors: Sun
authors: State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, P. R. China.
authors: Bao
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0727-9764
authors: B
authors: Li
authors: State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, P. R. China.
authors: Lixin
authors: L
authors: Wu
keywords: complex micelles; dendritic encapsulation; fluorescence; gadolinium polyoxometalate; magnetic resonance imaging