pH-responsive acrylic resin for the sustained release and cellular imaging of rhodamine-nido-carborane fluorescent complexes

Carborane has been extensively researched and used in the anti-tumor sector because of its high boron content and remarkable chemical stability. Its limited water solubility, however, stems from the fact that it is a fat-soluble molecule. In this paper, firstly, the water-soluble nido-carborane potassium salt was prepared by the nucleophilic deboronation of closo-o-carborane, then rhodamine B is introduced as a fluorescent marker, and finally, four acrylic resins with different characteristics are coated to obtain L100-Rho-B, EPO-Rho-B, RL-Rho-B, and RS-Rho-B. Four kinds of borane compounds were characterized. The wavelength range of the fluorescence emission varied between 568 and 579 nm in several organic solvents. The chemicals were seen to be dispersed in long strips or stacked in sheets using transmission electron microscopy. A simulated in vitro release test demonstrated that the resin’s characteristics affected the composite’s release. The release performance of L100-Rho-B and EPO-Rho-B was superior to RL-Rho-B and RS-Rho-B, and there was a higher cumulative release amount at pH 6.5. To observe the biocompatibility of compounds with tumor cells, live cell imaging studies were conducted, and it was found that L100-Rho-B and EPO-Rho-B all have good biocompatibility.

Graphical abstract

pH-responsive acrylic resin complexe