Bottom-Up Fabrication of BODIPY-Functionalized Fluorescent Hyperbranched Glycopolymers for Hepatoma-Targeted Imaging

A novel type of multivalent and highly specific fluorescent hyperbranched glycopolymers h-P(GalEA-co-VBPT-co-BYMA) (hPGVB) is designed and prepared successfully via a facile bottom-up strategy. The acetylated hPGVB is prepared by one-pot reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) copolymerization of acrylate-type galactose monomers AcGalEA and methacrylate-type fluorescent monomers BYMA in presence of an inimer-type RAFT chain transfer agent. After deacetylation, the resulting amphiphilic hPGVB can self-assemble into stable nanoparticles in aqueous media, showing strong green fluorescence with relative high quantum yields and good photostability. The cell viability study indicates the excellent biocompatibility of the hPGVB fluorescent nanoparticles (FNPs) against HepG2 and NIH3T3 cells. More importantly, comparing with the galactose-free fluorescent hyperbranched polymers h-P(OEGMA-co-VBPT-co-BYMA), hPEVB FNPs can be selectively internalized by asialoglycoprotein (ASGP) receptor-rich HepG2 cells, indicating their potential application in the bioimaging fields.