Easily available, low cost 19F MRI agents: Poly(ethylene-glycol)-functionalized fluorinated ethers

•Macromolecular materials with fluorinated residues suitable for 19F MRI.•PEG-derived fluorinated compounds are water soluble.•Novel materials show only a single 19F signal at NMR.•A clear imaging was obtained in experiments of in vitro MR imaging.•In one case it was tolerated in low doses in vivo experiments on animals

A simple derivatisation of commercially available poly(ethylene-glycols) of different molecular weight followed by the reaction with the selected fluorinated organic molecule, perfluoro-tertbutanol, allowed an easy synthesis of several novel polymers of different fluorine content. The properties of the new materials as MRI agents were preliminarily investigated. In all cases a single 19F signal at NMR in deuterated chloroform and D2O was registered; for a few fluorinated polymeric candidates a good solubility in water was observed and MR imaging of the fluorinated polymer successfully provided images. Most interesting results were obtained with the sample of 1436 MW (24% fluorine content) that not only gave a spectrum with a single resonance line, but, most importantly, was tolerated in low doses when in vivo experiments on animals (mice) were conducted.

Graphical abstractPoly(ethylene-glycol) derivatives of different fluorine content were easily synthesized. In all cases a single 19F signal at NMR in deuterated chloroform and D2O was registered; in a few cases a good solubility in water was observed and a clear imaging was obtained in experiments of in vitro MR imaging. In one case a novel fluorinated polymer was tolerated in low doses when in vivo experiments on animals (mice) were conducted.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide