Organic Nanoprobes for Fluorescence and 19F Magnetic Resonance Dual‐Modality Imaging

Multimodal imaging techniques have been demonstrated to be greatly advantageous in achieving accurate diagnosis and gained increasing attention in recent decades. Herein, we present a new strategy to integrate the complementary modalities of ¹⁹F magnetic resonance imaging (¹⁹F MRI) and fluorescence imaging (FI) into a polymer nanoprobe composed of hydrophobic fluorescent organic core and hydrophilic fluorinated polymer shell. The alkyne‐terminated fluorinated copolymer (Pn) of 2,2,2‐trifluoroethyl acrylate (TFEA) and poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate (PEGA) was first prepared via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The PEGA plays an important role in both improving ¹⁹F signal and modulating the hydrophilicity of Pn. The alkynyl tail in Pn is readily conjugated with azide modified tetra‐phenylethylene (TPE) through click chemistry to form azo polymer (TPE‐azo‐Pn). The core‐shell nanoprobes (TPE‐P3N) with an average particle size of 57.2 ± 8.8 nm are obtained via self‐assembly with ultrasonication in aqueous solution. These nanoprobes demonstrate high water stability, good biocompatibility, strong fluorescence and good ¹⁹F MRI performance, which present great potentials for simultaneous fluorescence imaging and ¹⁹F–MR imaging.     

Fluorinated derivatives of a polyaspartamide bearing polyethylene glycol chains as oxygen carriers

In this paper the synthesis and characterization of new fluorinated polymers based on a polyaspartamide bearing polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains, are reported. The starting material was the α,β-poly(N-2-hydroxyethyl)-dl-aspartamide (PHEA), a water soluble and biocompatible polymer, that has been derivatized with both polyethylene glycol (with a molecular weight of 2000 Da) and 5-pentafluorophenyl-3-perfluoroheptyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole. By varying the amount of the fluorinated oxadiazole, three samples have been prepared and characterized by FT-IR, ¹H NMR, ¹⁹F NMR and UV-VIS spectroscopy. Size exclusion chromatography analysis of these copolymers revealed the occurrence of a self-association process in aqueous medium. The value of critical aggregation concentration has been evaluated by performing a tensiometric study, whereas the size of these aggregates has been determined by photon correlation spectroscopy. Oxygen solubility studies in aqueous solutions of these fluoropolymers showed their ability to maintain high oxygen levels in solution. The biocompatibility of these fluoropolymers has been evaluated by performing an in vitro viability assay on human chronic myelogenous leukaemia cells (K-562), chosen as a model cell line, and haemolysis experiments on human red blood cells. All these properties suggest the potential use of these fluoropolymers as artificial oxygen carriers.     

Partially Fluorinated Copolymers as Oxygen Sensitive 19F MRI Agents

Effective diagnosis of disease and its progression can be aided by ¹⁹F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. Specifically, the inherent sensitivity of the spin–lattice relaxation time (T₁) of ¹⁹F nuclei to oxygen partial pressure makes ¹⁹F MRI an attractive non-invasive approach to quantify tissue oxygenation in a spatiotemporal manner. However, there are only few materials with the adequate sensitivity to be used as oxygen-sensitive ¹⁹F MRI agents at clinically relevant field strengths. Motivated by the limitations in current technologies, we report highly fluorinated monomers that provide a platform approach to realize water-soluble, partially fluorinated copolymers as ¹⁹F MRI agents with the required sensitivity to quantify solution oxygenation at clinically relevant magnetic field strengths. The synthesis of a systematic library of partially fluorinated copolymers enabled a comprehensive evaluation of copolymer structure–property relationships relevant to ¹⁹F MRI. The highest-performing material composition demonstrated a signal-to-noise ratio that corresponded to an apparent ¹⁹F density of 220 mm , which surpasses the threshold of 126 mm ¹⁹F required for visualization on a three Tesla clinical MRI. Furthermore, the T₁ of these high performing materials demonstrated a linear relationship with solution oxygenation, with oxygen sensitivity reaching 240×10⁻⁵ mmHg⁻¹s⁻¹. The relationships between material composition and ¹⁹F MRI performance identified herein suggest general structure–property criteria for the further improvement of modular, water-soluble ¹⁹F MRI agents for quantifying oxygenation in environments relevant to medical imaging.     

19F VT NMR: Novel Tm3+ and Ce3+ Complexes Provide New Insight into Temperature Measurement Using Molecular Sensors

In the past few decades, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and MR imaging (MRI) have developed into a powerful non-invasive tool for medical diagnostic and therapy. Especially ¹⁹F MR shows promising potential because of the properties of the fluorine atom and the negligible background signals in the MR spectra. The detection of temperature in a living organism is quite difficult, and usually external thermometers or fibers are used. Temperature determination via MRS needs temperature-sensitive contrast agents. This article reports first results of solvent and structural influences on the temperature sensitivity of ¹⁹F NMR signals of chosen molecules. By using this chemical shift sensitivity, a local temperature can be determined with a high precision. Based on this preliminary study, we synthesized five metal complexes and compared the results of all variable temperature measurements. It is shown that the highest ¹⁹F MR signal temperature dependence is detectable for a fluorine nucleus in a Tm³⁺-complex.     

The Design and Synthesis of Highly Branched and Spherically Symmetric Fluorinated Oils and Amphiles

A new surfactant design principle, based on concepts borrowed from protein science, is proposed. Using this principle, a class of highly branched and spherically symmetric fluorinated oils and amphiles has been designed and synthesized, for potential applications in the construction of fluorocarbon nanoparticles. The Mitsunobu reaction was employed as the key step for introducing three perfluoro-tert-butoxyl groups into pentaerythritol derivatives with excellent yields and extremely simple isolation procedures. Due to the symmetric arrangement of the fluorine atoms, each fluorinated oil or amphile molecule gives one sharp singlet ¹⁹F NMR signal.     

Fluorous synthesis of mono-dispersed poly(ethylene glycols)

Mono-dispersed poly(ethylene glycols) (PEGs) are of great value in the development of biopharmaceuticals. However, tedious synthesis limits the availability of mono-dispersed PEGs. To address this issue, a fluorous synthesis of mono-dispersed PEGs, discretely PEGylated surfactants and ¹⁹F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agents has been developed. During the synthesis, both fluorous and normal phase silica gel-based solid-phase extractions were successfully employed to simplify the purifications. This synthesis provided an easy access to valuable mono-dispersed PEGs and related molecules for biomedical application on multi-gram scales.     

Fluorinated PLGA Nanoparticles for Enhanced Drug Encapsulation and 19F NMR Detection

In the continuous search for multimodal systems with combined diagnostic and therapeutic functions, several efforts have been made to develop multifunctional drug delivery systems. In this work, through a covalent approach, a new class of fluorinated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) co-polymers (F-PLGA) were designed that contain an increasing number of magnetically equivalent fluorine atoms. In particular, two novel compounds, F₃-PLGA and F₉-PLGA, were synthesized and their chemical structure and thermal stability were analyzed by solution NMR, DSC, and TGA. The obtained F-PLGA compounds were proven to form in aqueous solution colloidal stable nanoparticles (NPs) displaying a strong ¹⁹F NMR signal. The fluorinated NPs also showed an enhanced ability to load hydrophobic drugs containing fluorine atoms compared to analogous pristine PLGA NPs. Preliminary in vitro studies showed high cell viability and the NP ability to intracellularly deliver and release a functioning drug.     

Poly(ethylene-glycol)-based fluorinated esters: a readily available entry for novel F-MRI agents

Readily available, low cost, hydrosoluble poly(ethylene-glycol) derivatives of 2-(trifluoromethyl)-3,3,3-trifluoro-propanoic acid were easily synthesized and their properties as MRI agents are preliminarily investigated. Two novel polymers, of 2356 Da and 756 Da, respectively, both showing a single ¹⁹F signal at NMR in deuterated chloroform and D₂O were fully characterized; both compounds were shown to be soluble in water. However when experiments of in vitro MR imaging were conducted a clear imaging was obtained only with the sample of 756 MW, pointing at the importance of the fluorine content of the carrier.     

Synthesis, properties, and hepatic metabolism of strongly fluorescent fluorodipyrrinones

From non-fluorescent 8-H fluorophenyldipyrrinones, highly fluorescent (?_F 0.4-0.6) analogs have been synthesized by reaction with 1,1′-carbonyldiimidazole to bridge the dipyrrinone nitrogens and form an N,N′-carbonyldipyrrinone (3H,5H-dipyrrolo[1,2-c:2′,1′-f]pyrimidine-3,5-dione). Amphiphilic, water-soluble 8-sulfonic acid derivatives are then obtained by reaction with concd H₂SO₄. The resulting fluorinated and sulfonated N,N′-carbonyl-bridged dipyrrinones, isolated as their sodium salts, are potential cholephilic fluorescence and ¹⁹F MRI imaging agents for use in probing liver and biliary metabolism. After intravenous injection in the rat they were excreted rapidly and largely unchanged in bile. ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy of a pentafluorophenyl-tosylpyrrolinone synthetic precursor exhibited rarely seen diastereotopicity.     

Synthesis and characterization of Cu(II) paddlewheel complexes possessing fluorinated carboxylate ligands

The goal of this study was to establish the relationship between the ¹⁹F NMR line broadening and the varying distance between the ¹⁹F nucleus and copper(II) ion, with the aim of gathering data that can be used to interpret ¹⁹F NMR spectra of subsequent fluorine-labeled, copper-binding proteins. Fluorinated alkyl and aryl copper(II) carboxylates were synthesized from fluorinated carboxylic acids and Cu(OH)₂. The copper(II) carboxylates were characterized using ¹⁹F NMR, IR, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. In the alkyl carboxylate compounds, the line broadening and chemical shift lessened with increased distance between the fluorine atom and the copper ions; however, in the aryl carboxylate derivatives, increased distance was not a factor in the amount of line broadening or change in chemical shift between the acid and metal salt. The compound, bis(3-(trifluoromethyl)butyrate) copper(II) (5) was found to possess the optimum combination of decreased line broadening and increased chemical shift sensitivity in ¹⁹F NMR. The crystal structures obtained for compounds 1, 2, 4, and 6 were analogous to previous copper(II) carboxylate complexes, though it is noted that compound 6, bis(5,5,5-trifluoropentanoate) copper(II) assumes a tetrameric structure lacking apical ligands, and thus enables the formation of an extended network of near-neighbor copper(II) ions.     

Low-temperature F NMR spectroscopy of 1-fluoro-1-lithioethenes : Stability, shifts and unexpected coupling constants

Half-lives and fluorine atom shifts of stabilized 1-fluoro-1-lithioethenes bearing hydrogen, fluorine, phenyl, and/or dimethylphenylsilyl groups in the β-positions have been determined by a low-temperature ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy. Some 1-fluoro-1-lithioethenes displayed an exceptionally low value of the trans-³J_FF coupling constant. Stereoselectivity of carbenoid formation, as well as an effect of configuration on the stability is discussed.     

Predicting 19F NMR Chemical Shifts: A Combined Computational and Experimental Study of a Trypanosomal Oxidoreductase–Inhibitor Complex

The absence of fluorine from most biomolecules renders it an excellent probe for NMR spectroscopy to monitor inhibitor–protein interactions. However, predicting the binding mode of a fluorinated ligand from a chemical shift (or vice versa) has been challenging due to the high electron density of the fluorine atom. Nonetheless, reliable ¹⁹F chemical-shift predictions to deduce ligand-binding modes hold great potential for in silico drug design. Herein, we present a systematic QM/MM study to predict the ¹⁹F NMR chemical shifts of a covalently bound fluorinated inhibitor to the essential oxidoreductase tryparedoxin (Tpx) from African trypanosomes, the causative agent of African sleeping sickness. We include many protein–inhibitor conformations as well as monomeric and dimeric inhibitor–protein complexes, thus rendering it the largest computational study on chemical shifts of ¹⁹F nuclei in a biological context to date. Our predicted shifts agree well with those obtained experimentally and pave the way for future work in this area.     

F NMR applications in chemical biology

Although fluorine plays only a minor role in biology, its physicochemical properties have proven incredibly useful in the design of analogues of biologically important molecules. Analysis of organofluorine compounds by ¹⁹F NMR was largely confined to synthetic chemists but this technique is finding increasing applications in biological systems. The fluorine atom with its relative small size and 100% natural isotope abundance represents an attractive option for biological NMR studies. In this paper we review the recent literature highlighting the exploitation of ¹⁹F NMR in a range of research areas at the interface of chemistry and biology.     

Low-Fouling Fluoropolymers for Bioconjugation and In Vivo Tracking

The conjugation of hydrophilic low-fouling polymers to therapeutic molecules and particles is an effective approach to improving their aqueous stability, solubility, and pharmacokinetics. Recent concerns over the immunogenicity of poly(ethylene glycol) has highlighted the importance of identifying alternative low fouling polymers. Now, a new class of synthetic water-soluble homo-fluoropolymers are reported with a sulfoxide side-chain structure. The incorporation of fluorine enables direct imaging of the homopolymer by ¹⁹F MRI, negating the need for additional synthetic steps to attach an imaging moiety. These self-reporting fluoropolymers show outstanding imaging sensitivity and remarkable hydrophilicity, and as such are a new class of low-fouling polymer for bioconjugation and in vivo tracking.     

High-Pressure 19F NMR Measurements of a Series of Fluorinated Benzenes in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

The high-pressure and high-resolution NMR cell method has been developed for precise measurements of supercritical carbon dioxide solutions. ¹⁹F NMR chemical shifts of a series of fluorinated benzenes, C₆H _n F _m (n = 6 ? m and m = 1 ～ 6) in CO₂ at dilute concentrations were measured over a wide pressure range up to 35 MPa at 314.3 K. The density dependence of the corrected chemical shift, where the bulk magnetic susceptibility contribution was subtracted, was well represented by a cubic function of CO₂ density for any fluorinated benzene. The linear coefficients, arising from pairwise intermolecular interactions, were found to be dependent on the numbers and positions of fluorine atoms in the fluorinated benzenes. The solute–solvent interaction between fluorine and CO₂ was discussed.     

Multifunctional Core–Shell Silica Nanoparticles for Highly Sensitive 19F Magnetic Resonance Imaging

¹⁹F magnetic resonance imaging (¹⁹F MRI) is useful for monitoring particular signals from biological samples, cells, and target tissues, because background signals are missing in animal bodies. Therefore, highly sensitive ¹⁹F MRI contrast agents are in great demand for their practical applications. However, we have faced the following challenges: 1) increasing the number of fluorine atoms decreases the solubility of the molecular probes, and 2) the restriction of the molecular mobility attenuates the ¹⁹F MRI signals. Herein, we developed novel multifunctional core–shell nanoparticles to solve these issues. They are composed of a core micelle filled with liquid perfluorocarbon and a robust silica shell. These core–shell nanoparticles have superior properties such as high sensitivity, modifiability of the surface, biocompatibility, and sufficient in vivo stability. By the adequate surface modifications, gene expression in living cells and tumor tissue in living mice were successfully detected by ¹⁹F MRI.     

Low‐Fouling Fluoropolymers for Bioconjugation and In Vivo Tracking

The conjugation of hydrophilic low‐fouling polymers to therapeutic molecules and particles is an effective approach to improving their aqueous stability, solubility, and pharmacokinetics. Recent concerns over the immunogenicity of poly(ethylene glycol) has highlighted the importance of identifying alternative low fouling polymers. Now, a new class of synthetic water‐soluble homo‐fluoropolymers are reported with a sulfoxide side‐chain structure. The incorporation of fluorine enables direct imaging of the homopolymer by ¹⁹F MRI, negating the need for additional synthetic steps to attach an imaging moiety. These self‐reporting fluoropolymers show outstanding imaging sensitivity and remarkable hydrophilicity, and as such are a new class of low‐fouling polymer for bioconjugation and in vivo tracking.     

F and C spectra of fluorinated and partially fluorinated vinyl alkyl ethers

Fluorine, hydrogen, and ¹³C NMR spectral data have been obtained for vinyl alkyl ethers containing fluorines. Some of the molecules are perfluorinated and others include hydrogen, bromine, and chlorine substituents. New generalizations regarding FF spin-spin coupling are developed and used, along with previously recognized correlations, in the confirmation of structures and the assignments of resonances. ¹³C spectroscopy, especially the analysis of ¹³C¹⁹F coupling, is critical in several of the structure determinations. Chlorine isotope effects on fluorine chemical shifts are observed when the chlorine and fluorine are attached to the same carbon, and are also used in the structure analyses. Long-range couplings between fluorines in the vinyl group and fluorines in the alkyl group are interpreted in terms of molecular geometry which allows certain of the alkyl fluorines to “touch” the fluorines cis and gem to the ether oxygen but not the fluorine trans to the oxygen. Two bond ¹³C¹⁹F coupling across the vinyl double bond is found to vary dramatically with the electronegativity of the vinyl substituents in the ethers, in accordance with previous observations for olefins.     

Fluorinated photosensitizers: synthesis, photophysical, electrochemical, intracellular localization, in vitro photosensitizing efficacy and determination of tumor-uptake by F in vivo NMR spectroscopy

For in vivo NMR studies, starting from pyrroles, a series of fluorinated porphyrins were synthesized by following the MacDonald reaction conditions. Upon reaction with osmium tetroxide, a fluorinated porphyrin containing four trifluoromethyl groups (12 fluorine units) was converted into the related chlorin and bacteriochlorin which exhibited long-wavelength absorptions at 652 and 720 nm, respectively. All compounds produced good singlet oxygen production efficiency. A comparative study of nine porphyrins with and without fluorine substituents indicated no adverse effects of the presence of fluorinated groups in the photophysical properties of the porphyrins, chlorins or bacteriochlorins. The first and second one-electron reduction potentials (vs SCE) of the investigated compounds range between −1.29 and −1.49 V and between −1.66 and −1.84 V in PhCN containing 0.1 M TBAP. UV-visible spectroelectrochemical data suggested the formation of π-anion and π-cation radicals upon the first reduction and first oxidation. The in vivo ¹⁹F MR study of a representative fluorine labeled compound with twelve equivalent fluorines confirmed the presence of the fluorine labeled sensitizer in mouse (C3H/HeJ) implanted with RIF tumors on mouse foot dorsum by inoculating 2×10⁵ cells (the studies were repeated on four tumored mice to confirm the feasibility and reproducibility). All fluorinated compounds were found to be quite effective in vitro. In a comparative intracellular localization study with Rhodamine-123 in RIF tumor cells, the most soluble porphyrin containing two propionic ester side chains was found to localize in mitochondria as well as the related chlorin and bacteriochlorin.     

19F DOSY NMR analysis for spin systems with nJFF couplings

NMR is a powerful method for identification and quantification of drug components and contaminations. These problems present themselves as mixtures, and here, one of the most powerful tools is DOSY. DOSY works best when there is no spectral overlap between components, so drugs containing fluorine substituents are well‐suited for DOSY analysis as ¹⁹F spectra are typically very sparse. Here, we demonstrate the use of a modified ¹⁹F DOSY experiment (on the basis of the Oneshot sequences) for various fluorinated benzenes. For compounds with significant ⁿJ_FF coupling constants, as is common, the undesirable J‐modulation can be efficiently suppressed using the Oneshot45 pulse sequence. This investigation highlights ¹⁹F DOSY as a valuable and robust method for analysis of molecular systems containing fluorine atoms even where there are large fluorine–fluorine couplings. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.