Ionic liquids with thioether motifs as synthetic cationic lipids for gene delivery†
Abstract
This study introduces a novel class of imidazolium- and ammonium-based ionic liquids possessing two C12 and C14 tails and thioether linkers designed for lipoplex-mediated DNA delivery. Imidazolium-based ionic liquids displayed efficient gene delivery properties with low toxicity. Thiol–yne click chemistry was employed for the facile and robust synthesis of these thioether-based cationic lipioids with enhanced lipophilicity and low fluidity.