UV-Activated Zwitterionic Fluorine-Containing Hybrid Probe for Dual-Modal <b> <sup>19</sup> </b> F/ <b> <sup>1</sup> </b> H MRI
Dual-modal <sup>19</sup>F/<sup>1</sup>H MRI probes often suffer from hydrophobic aggregation caused by high fluorine content, limiting their solubility and imaging performance. Herein, a water-soluble dual-modal probe (PFCP-Gd) was developed by grafting fluorinated phosphocholine zwitterions and Gd<sup>3+</sup> chelates onto a UV-responsive polymer via RAFT polymerization and ring-opening reactions. The design enables UV-triggered paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) modulation, allowing for activatable <sup>19</sup>F/<sup>1</sup>H MRI contrast. Upon UV irradiation, PFCP-Gd exhibited a significantly enhanced <sup>19</sup>F signal with a <i>T</i><sub>2</sub> relaxation time of 23 ms and a signal-to-noise ratio of 11.34 at 12 mM <sup>19</sup>F. The probe also showed good biocompatibility and an efficient cellular uptake. This work provides a strategy for constructing water-soluble, activatable fluorinated MRI probes for dual-mode imaging.
Authors
- Jingjiang Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8221-7825)
- Qingfu Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0473-8179)
- Wenkai Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7436-2192)
- Deshuo Wang
- Zheng Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4873-505X)
- Wenze Xiao
- Jianjiang He (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2073-0006)
- Shoujing Sun
- Yanan Li
- Susu Yan
- Junnan Ma
Institutions
- Qingdao University of Science and Technology (CN)
- Shanxi Medical University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Biomacromolecules
- Published
- 2026-03-28
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.6c00245
- Primary Topic
- Lanthanide and Transition Metal Complexes
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00