Thermoplastic Elastomer Fiber Mat As Local Delivery Vehicle: Development of Functionalized Fluorescein Derivatives

Thermoplastic elastomers exhibit excellent elastic properties to be spun into fiber mats which can encapsulate folic acid targeted polymeric fluorescein imaging agents. The biocompatibility of polyisobutylene-based thermoplastic elastomers allows them to be used for controlled drug release applications. This work highlights the functionalization of fluorescein which can be used as a bio-imaging agent to detect malignant cells. The synthesized fluorescein derivatives can be incorporated into a fiber mat made of poly(alloocimene-b-isobutylene-b-alloocimene) block copolymer thermoplastic elastomer for diagnosis of breast cancer. ¹³C-NMR, ¹H-NMR and mass spectroscopy confirm the structure and purity of the fluorescent derivatives.