Development of Perfluoro Decalin/Fluorinated Polyimide Core–Shell Microparticles via SPG Membrane Emulsification Using Methyl Perfluoropropyl Ether Cosolvent

摘要

Red blood cell-inspired perfluorocarbon-encapsulated core–shell particles have been developed for biomedical applications. Although the use of perfluorodecalin (FDC) is expected for core–shell particles owing to its high oxygen solubility, the low solubility of FDC in any organic solvent, owing to its fluorous properties, prevents its use in core–shell particles. In this study, a new cosolvent system composed of dichloromethane (DCM) and heptafluoropropyl methyl ether (HFPME) was found to dissolve both FDC and fluorinated polyimide (FPI) based on a systematic study using a phase diagram, achieving a homogeneous disperse phase for emulsification composed of oxygen-permeable FPI and oxygen-soluble FDC. Using this novel cosolvent system and Shirasu porous glass (SPG) membrane emulsification, FDC-encapsulated FPI shell microparticles were successfully prepared for the first time. In addition to oxygenation, demonstrated using hypoxia-responsive HeLa cells, the fabricated core–shell microparticles exhibited monodispersity, excellent stability, biocompatibility, and oxygen capacity.