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Polyethylenimine are available in both linear and branched forms with molecular weights ranging from 700 Da to 1000 kDa.
Polyethylenimine has been also reported that PEI is relatively safe for internal use in animals and humans.
Polyethylenimine is widely used to flocculate cellular contaminants, nucleic acids, lipids and debris from cellular homogenates to facilitate purification of soluble proteins.
CAS Number: 25987-06-8
Molecular Formula: C4H13N3
Molecular Weight: 103.17
EINECS Number: 247-038-6
Synonyms: Polyethyleneimine, Polyethylene imine, poly(ethylene imine), poly(ethyleneimine), CHEBI:53231, DTXSID1051272, PEI compound, Polyaziridines, Polyethyleneimines, Polyethylenimines, poly-ethylene imine,Aziridine, polymer with 1,2-ethanediamine;PolyethyleniMine, ethylenediaMine branched average Mw ~800 by LS, average Mn ~600 by GPC;Polyethylenimine, ethylenediamine branched;POLYETHYLENIMINE LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT;1,2-Ethanediamine,polymerwithaziridine;N'-[2-[2-[2-(2-aminoethylamino)ethyl-[2-[bis(2-aminoethyl)amino]ethyl]amino]ethyl-[2-[2-[bis(2-aminoethyl)amino]ethylamino]ethyl]amino]ethyl]ethane-1,2-diamine;MDG Polyethyleneimine;Polyethylenimine, branched average Mw ~800 by LS, average Mn ~600 by GPC.
Polyethylenimines are highly basic and positively charged aliphatic polymers, containing primary, secondary and tertiary amino groups in a 1:2:1 ratio.
Every third atom of the polymeric backbone is therefore an amino nitrogen that may undergo protonation.
As the polymer contains repeating units of ethylamine, Polyethylenimine are also highly watersoluble.
For a long time, Polyethylenimine has been also used in non-pharmaceutical processes, including water purification, paper and shampoo manufacturing.
Enzymatic reactions in bioprocesses constitute another field in which Polyethylenimine was used: as an immobilizing agent for biocatalysts, as a soluble carrier of enzymes or in the formation of macrocyclic metal complexes mimicking metalloenzymes.
Polyethylenimine is also a common ingredient in a variety of formulations ranging from washing agents to packaging materials.
Polyethylenimine have been extensively studied as a vehicle for nonviral gene delivery and therapy.
Since its introduction in 1995, Polyethylenimine (Fig. 1) has been considered the gold standard for polymer-based gene carriers because of the excellent transfection efficiencies of its polyplexes (complex of nucleic acid and polymer) in both in vitro and in vivo models.
Polycation-mediated gene delivery is based on electrostatic interactions between the positively charged polymer and the negatively charged phosphate groups of DNA.
In aqueous solution, Polyethylenimine condenses DNA and the resulting PEI/DNA complexes, carrying a net positive surface charge, can interact with the negatively charged cell membrane and readily internalized into cells.
Polyethylenimine retains a substantial buffer capacity at virtually any pH and it has been hypothesized that this simple molecular property is related to the efficiency of the complex multistage process of transfection.
As a matter of fact, the ‘proton sponge’ nature of Polyethylenimine is thought to lead to buffering inside endosomes.
The proton influx into the endosome, along with that of counter-anions (generally chloride anions), maintains the overall charge neutrality even if an increase of ionic strength inside the endosome is expected.
This effect generates an osmotic swelling and the consequent physical rupture of the endosome, resulting in the escape of the vector from the degradative lysosomal compartment.
The proton sponge hypothesis has been a subject of debate, speculation and research without reaching a general consensus about the real mechanism involved.
Polyethylenimine is one of the most widely used synthetic polycations in various applications because of its chemical functionality arising from the presence of cationic primary (25%), secondary (50%), and tertiary amines (25%).
Polyethylenimine is formed by the linking of iminoethylene units and can have linear, branched, comb, network, and dendrimer architectures depending upon its synthesis and modification methods, which greatly influences its properties, both physical and chemical.
Furthermore, these synthetic approaches enable Polyethylenimine to be available in a wide range of molecular weights.
At room temperature, branched PEI (BPEI) is a highly viscous liquid while linear PEI (LPEI) is a solid.
Polyethylenimine has several attractive features for its use in widespread applications, such as low toxicity, ease of separation and recycling, and (last but not least) it being odorless.
In addition to these attractive features, there is a distinct feature of PEI which places it ahead of other polyions (e.g. polyallylamine or chitosan) when it comes to loading, and which justifies its widespread use in fields as varied as detergents, adhesives, water treatment, cosmetics, carbon dioxide capture, as a DNA transfection agent, and in drug delivery despite being a weak polymeric base with pKa values between 7.9 and 9.6, it possesses a high ionic charge density, which in practical terms translates into being a more cost-effective material.
This derives from the possibility of either reaching the same loadings with reduced amounts of the polymer (which would colloquially mean "getting a bigger bang for the buck") or reaching loadings that are beyond the reach of the aforementioned examples while avoiding enzyme agglomeration thanks to its multi-branched network.
Polyethylenimine are low to high molecular weight compounds with the general formula -[CH2-CH2-NH2]-, made by ring opening polymerization of aziridine.
These polymers are available as linear, partly branched or repetitively branched polymers (dendrimers). The linear form contains only primary amines in the backbone whereas branched Polyethylenimine also contains secondary and tertiary amines.
Thus, these polymers have different properties and reactivities.
Linear high MW Polyethylenimine is usually solid at room temperature while branched PEIs are typically liquids at all molecular weights.
All three forms are soluble in water, methanol, ethanol, and chloroform but insoluble in solvents of low polarity such as benzene, ethyl ether, and acetone.
Polyethylenimine, a cationic polymer, has revolutionized the field of transfection with its exceptional efficiency and adaptability.
Its unique capability to create stable complexes with nucleic acids enables the effective transfer of DNA, RNA, and proteins into various cell types, including those historically challenging to transfect.
A significant advantage of Polyethylenimine lies in its superior transfection efficiency, surpassing many conventional methods.
Its capacity to surmount cellular barriers and directly deliver genetic material to the nucleus ensures robust and dependable gene expression, catering to a wide spectrum of research needs spanning from fundamental inquiries to therapeutic interventions.
Moreover, Polyethylenimine provides researchers with extensive flexibility in experimental design, allowing for precise adjustments of transfection parameters to achieve optimal outcomes.
This versatility empowers scientists to explore diverse avenues in gene function studies, protein expression analyses, and gene therapy investigations, unleashing new possibilities in molecular biology and genetic research.
Polyethylenimine branched is a organic macromolecule with high cationic-charge-density potential.
Polyethylenimine can ensnare DNA as well as attach to cell membrane, Polyethylenimine also retains a substantial buffering capacity at virtually any pH.
Polyethylenimine is widely used as transfection reagent.
The development of gene delivery vectors with high efficiency and biocompatibility is one of the key points of gene therapy.
A series of polycations were prepared from polyethylenimine (PEI) with several amino acids or their analogs.
The target polymers have different charge and hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties, which may affect their performance in the gene transfection process.
Polyethylenimine or polyaziridine is a polymer with repeating units composed of the amine group and two carbon aliphatic CH2CH2 spacers.
Linear polyethyleneimines contain all secondary amines, in contrast to branched PEIs which contain primary, secondary and tertiary amino groups.
Totally branched, dendrimeric forms were also reported.
Polyethylenimine is produced on an industrial scale and finds many applications usually derived from its polycationic character.
The linear Polyethylenimine is a semi-crystalline solid at room temperature while branched Polyethylenimine is a fully amorphous polymer existing as a liquid at all molecular weights.
Linear polyethyleneimine is soluble in hot water, at low pH, in methanol, ethanol, or chloroform.
Polyethylenimine is insoluble in cold water, benzene, ethyl ether, and acetone.
Polyethylenimine has a melting point of around 67 °C.
Both linear and branched polyethyleneimine can be stored at room temperature.
Polyethylenimine is able to form cryogels upon freezing and subsequent thawing of its aqueous solutions.
Branched Polyethylenimine can be synthesized by the ring opening polymerization of aziridine.
Depending on the reaction conditions different degree of branching can be achieved.
Polyethylenimine is available by post-modification of other polymers like poly(2-oxazolines) or N-substituted polyaziridines.
Polyethylenimine was synthesised by the hydrolysis of poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) and sold as jetPEI.
The current generation in-vivo-jetPEI uses bespoke poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) polymers as precursors.
Polyethyleneimine is a hydrophilic polymerwidely used as a non-viral synthetic vector for invivo delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids.
Owing to its excellentphysicochemical properties, it is applied in many fields like the separationand purification of proteins, carbon dioxide absorption, drug carriers,effluent treatment, and biological labels.
Polyethylenimine is produced on an industrial scale and finds many applications usually derived from its polycationic characte Polyethylenimines are polymer with repeating units composed of ethylene diamine groups.
Polyethylenimines contain primary, secondary and tertiary amino groups.
Polyethylenimines are hydrophilic polymer widely used as a non-viral synthetic vector for invivo delivery of therapeutic nucleic
Polyethylenimines are high-charge cationic polymer that readily binds highly anionic substrates.
Industrially, linear Polyethylenimines can improve the appearance of negatively charged dyes by modulating their properties a their adherence to surfaces.
Polyethylenimines are organic macromolecules with high cationic-charge-density potential.
Polyethylenimines can ensnare DNA as well as attach to cell membrane, Polyethylenimine also retains a substantial buffering virtually any pH.
A significant advantage of Polyethylenimines lies in their superior transfection efficiency, surpassing many conventional metho
Polyethylenimines's capacity to surmount cellular barriers and directly deliver genetic material to the nucleus ensures robust gene expression, catering to a wide spectrum of research needs spanning from fundamental inquiries to therapeutic interven
Moreover, Polyethylenimines provide researchers with extensive flexibility in experimental design, allowing for precise adjustm transfection parameters to achieve optimal outcomes.
This versatility empowers scientists to explore diverse avenues in gene function studies, protein expression analyses, and gen investigations, unleashing new possibilities in molecular biology and genetic research.
Polyethylenimines are a biocompatible polymer that can be used in wastewater treatment.
Polyethylenimines are soluble in water and has surfactant properties.
Polyethylenimines are a hydrophilic polymer and a gene carrier, which can be conjugated with dextran to enhance the stability vectors.
Polyethylenimines are also used in the preparation of cationic poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles for potential us therapy.
Polyethylenimines can also be grafted on polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber membrane for the removal of hexavalent chromium (VI).
Polyethylenimines are pale yellow viscous liquid with an amine-like odor.
Density: 1.08 g/mL at 25 °C
vapor pressure: 9 mm Hg ( 20 °C)
refractive index: n20/D 1.5240
Flash point: >230 °F
solubility: Chloroform (Sparingly), DMSO (Sparingly), Methanol (Slightly)
form: Oil
color: Colourless
InChI: InChI=1S/C2H8N2.C2H5N/c3-1-2-4;1-2-3-1/h1-4H2;3H,1-2H2
InChIKey: SFLOAOINZSFFAE-UHFFFAOYSA-N
SMILES: C(N)CN.C1NC1
Polyethylenimine, a cationic polymer, has revolutionized the field of transfection with its exceptional efficiency and adaptability.
Its unique capability to create stable complexes with nucleic acids enables the effective transfer of DNA, RNA, and proteins into various cell types, including those historically challenging to transfect.
A significant advantage of Polyethylenimine lies in its superior transfection efficiency, surpassing many conventional methods.
Its capacity to surmount cellular barriers and directly deliver genetic material to the nucleus ensures robust and dependable gene expression, catering to a wide spectrum of research needs spanning from fundamental inquiries to therapeutic interventions.
Moreover, Polyethylenimine provides researchers with extensive flexibility in experimental design, allowing for precise adjustments of transfection parameters to achieve optimal outcomes.
This versatility empowers scientists to explore diverse avenues in gene function studies, protein expression analyses, and gene therapy investigations, unleashing new possibilities in molecular biology and genetic research.
Polyethylenimine is a hydrophilic cationic polymer widely used as a nonviral nucleotide delivery reagent.
Branched Polyethylenimine can be synthesized by cationic ring-opening polymerization of aziridine.
Polyethylenimine-based particles can also be used as adjuvants for vaccines.
Owing to its excellent physicochemical properties, Polyethylenimine is applied in many fields like the separation and purification of proteins, carbon dioxide absorption, drug carriers, effluent treatment, and biological labels.
The potential of Polyethylenimine as a gene delivery vector was first discussed in 1995[35] following which there have been numerous studies reporting its application in gene delivery both in vitro and in vivo.
Polyethylenimine of molecular weights ranging from 800 to 25 kDa have been investigated in gene delivery.
The results showed that Polyethylenimine having molecular weight 25 kDa were the most suitable for transfection.
Higher molecular weight increases cytotoxicity due to cell surface aggregation of the polymer.
Though low molecular weight Polyethylenimine is less toxic, they do not display effective transfection property.
Due to the low positive charge, low molecular weights PEIs are incapable of condensing DNA effectively.
Also, the low surface charge of the Polyethylenimine/DNA complexes does not induce effective cellular uptake through charge-mediated interactions.
Polyethylenimine polymers can be broadly classified into branched and linear PEI.
Compared to linear Polyethylenimine, highly branched PEI forms stronger and smaller complexes with DNA.
The complexation of branched PEI with DNA is less dependent on the buffer conditions than the high molecular weight linear PEI, which is dependent on the buffer condition.
Polyethylenimine on complexation with DNA in a high ionic strength solution has been observed to form larger-sized complexes (1 μm), whereas in 5% glucose, the complex size was found to be 30 60 nm. The in vivo studies showed that linear PEI/DNA complexes prepared in high salt conditions were less efficient in transfection than those formed in low salt condition.
The transfection efficiency/cytotoxicity profile of Polyethylenimine is largely influenced by their molecular weight, degree of branching, zeta potential and particle size.
With increase in molecular weight, branched Polyethylenimine exhibit high transfection efficiency; however, cytotoxicity has also been found to increase concurrently.
To overcome the cytotoxicity associated with PEIs, different strategies have been studied.
These include using linear high molecular weight Polyethylenimine, substituting or linking high molecular weight branched Polyethylenimine with polysaccharides, hydrophilic polymers such as PEG, disulfide linkers, lipid moieties, etc.
Polyethylenimine and its derivatives have been used to deliver nucleic acids in vivo and the results are promising and have been used in cancer and RNA interference (RNAi) therapy.
There are several reports suggesting delivery of nucleic acids by PEI derivatives in vivo that showcase the potential of Polyethylenimine in delivery of therapeutics.
These derivatives are either polysaccharide-decked Polyethylenimine or cross-linked Polyethylenimine nanoparticles.
The use of polysaccharides such as chondroitin sulphate, hyaluronic acid, gellan gum or dextran to modify branched PEI (Mw 25 kDa) has made the resulting polymers less toxic thereby improving their transfection efficiency in vivo.
Also, the linkers such as polyglutamic acid, polyethyleneglycol-bis (aminoethylphosphate), piperazine-N, N¢-dibutyric acid, butane-1, 4-diol bis glycidyl ether (BDG) when used to crosslink PEI (25 kDa) resulted in the formation of vectors with significantly enhanced transfection efficacy in vivo.
Subsequent sections will elaborate on low and high molecular weight branched and linear PEI-mediated delivery of therapeutic genes to various tissues in a specific manner.
Polyethylenimine is a high-charge cationic polymer that readily binds highly anionic substrates.
Industrially, Polyethylenimine can improve the appearance of negatively charged dyes by modulating their properties and improving their adherence to surfaces.
Polyethylenimine are available in both linear and branched forms with molecular weights ranging from 700 Da to 1000 kDa.
Polyethylenimine is a hydrophilic cationic polymer widely used as a nonviral nucleotide delivery reagent.
Branched Polyethylenimine can be synthesized by cationic ring-opening polymerization of aziridine.
Polyethylenimine-based particles can also be used as adjuvants for vaccines.
Owing to Polyethylenimine's excellent physicochemical properties, Polyethylenimine is applied in many fields like the separation and purification of proteins, carbon dioxide absorption, drug carriers, effluent treatment, and biological labels.
Polyethylenimine, a cationic polymer, has revolutionized the field of transfection with Polyethylenimine's exceptional efficiency and adaptability.
Polyethylenimine's unique capability to create stable complexes with nucleic acids enables the effective transfer of DNA, RNA, and proteins into various cell types, including those historically challenging to transfect.
A significant advantage of Polyethylenimine lies in its superior transfection efficiency, surpassing many conventional methods.
Polyethylenimine's capacity to surmount cellular barriers and directly deliver genetic material to the nucleus ensures robust and dependable gene expression, catering to a wide spectrum of research needs spanning from fundamental inquiries to therapeutic interventions.
Moreover, Polyethylenimine provides researchers with extensive flexibility in experimental design, allowing for precise adjustments of transfection parameters to achieve optimal outcomes.
This versatility empowers scientists to explore diverse avenues in gene function studies, protein expression analyses, and gene therapy investigations, unleashing new possibilities in molecular biology and genetic research.
Uses of Polyethylenimines:
Polyethylenimines are used stable in combination with other positively charged particles.
Polyethylenimines are used layer by layer construction of nanoparticle surfaces.
Polyethylenimines are used binding to negatively charged substrates or larger particles.
Polyethylenimines are used color engineering.
Polyethylenimines are used the degree of polymerization used in the paper industry is about 1 00.
Polyethylenimines have high reaction activity, can react with the hydroxyl group in cellulose and cross-linking polymerization, so that the wet strength of the paper.
Polyethylenimines are used the presence of any acid, base, and aluminum sulfate will affect the wet strength and retention.
Polyethylenimines are used as the wet strength agent of the respiratory paper without sizing, the retention agent and the beating agent in the paper making process can reduce the beating degree of the pulp, improve the dehydration ability of the paper, and speed up the drainage of the pulp, the fine fibers in white water are easy to flocculate.
Polyethylenimines can also be used to treat cellophane, reduce wetting deformation of the paper, etc.
Polyethylenimines can also be used for fiber modification, printing and dyeing auxiliaries, ion exchange resins, etc.
Polyethylenimines have a strong binding force to acid dyes and can be used as a fixing agent for acid dye dyeing paper.
Primary amines on the Polyethylenimines are used to covalently link BPEI to carboxyl functionalized nanoparticles to generate a robust BPEI surface that is highly positively charged.
Polyethylenimines can be used as a precursor to synthesize conjugated polyplexes for efficient gene transfection.
Conjugation of Polyethylenimines with Jeffamine polyether and guanidinylation of the amino groups of Polyethylenimine reduce the cytotoxicity of the polyplexes and protect them from aggregation in the presence of serum proteins.
Bamboo charcoal impregnated with Polyethylenimines can be used as a CO2 adsorbent.
Numerous amino groups present in Polyethylenimines can react with CO 2 due to acid-alkali interaction and enhance the adsorption capacity of bamboo charcoal.
Polyethylenimines can also be used to prepare cross-linked water-soluble polymers with high coordination capabilities towards organic drug molecules.
Owing to its excellentphysicochemical properties, Polyethylenimines are applied in many fields like the separation and purification of proteins, carbon dioxide absorption, drug carriers, effective treatment, and biological labels.
Polyethylenimines are widely used as transfection reagent.
Polyethylenimines, a cationic polymer, have revolutionized the field of transfection with their exceptional efficiency and adaptability.
Polyethylenimines unique capability to create stable complexes with nucleic acids enables the effective transfer of DNA, RNA, and proteins into various cell types, including those historically challenging to transfect.
Polyethylenimines are widely used in many applications due to their polycationic character.
Unlike Polyethylenimine's linear equivalent, branched Polyethylenimines contain primary, secondary, and tertiary amines.
Primarily utilized in industrial applications, high molecular weight Polyethylenimines have been used as a flocculating agent, textile coating, adhesion promoter, enzyme carrier, and as a material for CO2 capture.
Polyethylenimines are used Strongly cationic polymer that binds to certain proteins.
Polyethylenimines are used as a marker in immunology, to precipitate and purify enzymes and lipids.
Polyethylenimines have been shown to have receptor activity and can be used as a model system for studying the effects of polymers on living cells.
Polyethylenimines may also be used as an adjuvant to increase the efficacy of other drugs or as a means of drug delivery.
Polyethylenimines also have some glycol ethers, which can help prevent Polyethylenimine from being degraded by hydrogen fluoride.
For a long time, Polyethylenimines have been also used in non-pharmaceutical processes, including water purification, paper and shampoo manufacturing.
Polyethylenimine has been also reported that Polyethylenimines are relatively safe for internal use in animals and humans.
Polyethylenimines are widely used to flocculate cellular contaminants, nucleic acids, lipids and debris from cellular homogenates to facilitate purification of soluble proteins.
Uses:
An important biological function of Polyethylenimine was reported by Chu et al. showing that Polyethylenimine readily blocks fibrin formation, thus exhibiting anticoagulant activity.
This study demonstrated that even at a nanomolar concentration, PEI significantly blocks thrombin-catalyzed fibrin formation in vitro, accounting for its anticoagulant property.
The antibacterial properties of Polyethylenimines have been investigated in details and were applied in the development of coated materials.
Helander studied the effect of Polyethylenimine on the permeability properties of the Gramnegative bacterial outer membrane (OM) using Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhimurium as target organisms.
Due to the polycationic nature of Polyethylenimine, it could be expected that this polymer may act as an efficient OM-permeabilizing agent.
As expected, even at a concentration lower than 20 μg/ml Polyethylenimine increased the bacterial uptake of 1-N-phenylnaphthylamine, a hydrophobic fluorescent probe, indicating an increased hydrophobic permeation of the outer membrane.
Polyethylenimine also increased the susceptibility of bacteria toward other hydrophobic antibiotics like clindamycin, erythromycin, fucidin, novobiocin and rifampicin, without being bactericidal itself.
Moreover, Polyethylenimine is able to sensitize the bacteria to the lytic action of the anionic detergent SDS when bacteria are opportunely pretreated with the polymer.
Use of Polyethylenimine for delivery of small drugs, and for the photodynamic therapy (PDT).
As polycation, Polyethylenimine was selected for its several advantageous properties (hydrophylicity, biocompatibility and thermal stability) and furosemide was chosen as a model water-insoluble drug.
The furosemide-loaded calcium alginate (ALG), calcium alginatepolyethyleneimine (ALG-PEI) and alginate-coated ALG-PEI (ALG-PEI-ALG) beads by ionotropic/polyelectrolyte complexation method to achieve controlled release of the drug were prepared.
Release of furosemide from ALG-Polyethylenimine beads was prolonged considerably compared with that from ALG beads.
Ionic interaction between alginate and PEI led to the formation of polyelectrolyte complex membrane, the thickness of which was dependent on the conditions of Polyethylenimine treatment (PEI concentration and exposure time)[25]. The membrane acted as a physical barrier to drug release from ALG-PEI beads.
The coating of ALG-PEI beads further prolonged the release of the drug by increasing membrane thickness and reducing swelling of the beads possibly by blocking the surface pores.
Hamblin’s research group has been involved in the use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) as a possible treatment for localized infections.
They shown that covalent conjugates between Polyethylenimine and chlorin (e6) (ce6) can be used as a potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial photo sensitizers (PS) resistant to protease degradation and therefore constituting an alternative to the previously described poly-L-lysine chlorin (e6) (pL-ce6) conjugates.
Bourgeois used Polyethylenimine to build a specific delivery system for beta-lactamases.
The aim of that study was to provide a "proof of concept" of colon delivery of beta-lactamases by pectin beads aiming to degrade residual beta-lactam antibiotics, in order to prevent the emergence of resistant bacterial strains.
Pectin is almost totally degraded by pectinolytic enzymes produced by colon microflora, but it is not digested by gastric or intestinal enzymes.
In addition, pectin beads could efficiently protect beta-lactamases from degradation by proteases contained in the upper gastrointestinal tract.
The specific delivery system for beta-lactamases was composed of a core of calcium pectinate bead, cross-linked at its surface with Polyethylenimine.
Polyethylenimine improved the stability of Ca-pectinate beads, protecting them from water penetration by cross-linking the free carboxylic functions of the Ca-pectinate network.
The cross-linking step does not influence shape, size and efficiency of encapsulation of betalactamases in beads.
Thus, Polyethylenimine made Ca-pectinate beads resistant to the denaturing effect of upper intestine conditions, allowing to delay beta-lactamases release.
Polyethylenimine takes part to the composition of nanoparticles used for drug delivery.
The advantages of using nanoparticles for drug delivery result from their small size, that allow for the penetration through even small capillaries up to cytoplasm, allowing also an efficient drug accumulation at the target sites in the body.
Furthermore, the use of biodegradable materials for nanoparticles preparation allows for sustained drug release within the target site over a period of days or even weeks after injection.
Polyethylenimine is also an important polymer for non-invasive optical imaging devices (Near Infrared, NIR) enabling the assessment of several cellular functions like caspases' activity in vitro.
The cell-permeable branched polyethylenimine (25 kDa), was modified with deoxycholic acid (DOCA) hydroxysuccinimide ester, resulting in PEI-DOCA nanoparticles.
After attaching the effector caspase-specific near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence probe (Cy5.5-DEVD) to amphiphilic bile acid-modified polymer backbone, this polymeric nanoparticle system can be easily controlled with the optical imaging technique.
The imaging-probe entry into cells is an important area in apoptosis imaging because the caspases’ reaction occurs in the cytoplasm.
Thus, the tracking of the fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled Cy5.5DEVD26-PEI-DOCA20 nanoparticles in HeLa cells allowed for the monitoring of both caspase-3 and caspase-7 activity.
Therefore, this polymeric nanoparticles can be used to measure apoptosis in cell-based high-throughput screens for inhibitors or inducers of apoptosis.
Polyethylenimine is a synthetic, water soluble, linear or branched polymer that has a high density of amino groups that can be protonated.
At physiological pH, the polycation is very effective in binding to DNA and can mediate the transfection of eukaryotic cells.
Polyethylenimine is widely used in gene delivery system due to the ability to build a complex with DNA and support the release of endosomal through “proton sponge effect.”
Polyethylenimine is also facilitating the intracellular transport into nucleus.
These properties succeed in polymer for MNPs coating and targeted therapy.
Detergents, adhesives, water treatment, printing inks, dyes, cosmetics, and paper industry, adhesion promoter, lamination primer, fixative agent, flocculant, cationic dispersant, stability enhancer, surface activator, chelating agent, scavenger for aldehydes and oxides.
Polyethylenimine finds many applications in products like: detergents, adhesives, water treatment agents and cosmetics.
Owing to its ability to modify the surface of cellulose fibres, Polyethylenimine is employed as a wet-strength agent in the paper-making process.
Polyethylenimine is also used as flocculating agent with silica sols and as a chelating agent with the ability to complex metal ions such as zinc and zirconium.
Polyethylenimine has a number of uses in laboratory biology, especially tissue culture, but is also toxic to cells if used in excess.
Toxicity is by two different mechanisms, the disruption of the cell membrane leading to necrotic cell death (immediate) and disruption of the mitochondrial membrane after internalisation leading to apoptosis (delayed).
Polyethylenimines are used in the cell culture of weakly anchoring cells to increase attachment.
Polyethylenimine is a cationic polymer; the negatively charged outer surfaces of cells are attracted to dishes coated in PEI, facilitating stronger attachments between the cells and the plate.
Polyethylenimine was the second polymeric transfection agent discovered, after poly-L-lysine.
Polyethylenimine condenses DNA into positively charged particles, which bind to anionic cell surface residues and are brought into the cell via endocytosis.
Once inside the cell, protonation of the amines results in an influx of counter-ions and a lowering of the osmotic potential.
Osmotic swelling results and bursts the vesicle releasing the polymer-DNA complex (polyplex) into the cytoplasm.
If the polyplex unpacks then the DNA is free to diffuse to the nucleus.
Permeabilization of gram negative bacteria
Polyethylenimine is also an effective permeabilizer of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria.
Both linear and branched polyethylenimine have been used for CO2 capture, frequently impregnated over porous materials.
First use of PEI polymer in CO2 capture was devoted to improve the CO2 removal in space craft applications, impregnated over a polymeric matrix.
After that, the support was changed to MCM-41, an hexagonal mesostructured silica, and large amounts of Polyethylenimine were retained in the so-called "molecular basket".
Polyethylenimine adsorbent materials led to higher CO2 adsorption capacities than bulk PEI or MCM-41 material individually considered.
The authors claim that, in this case, a synergic effect takes place due to the high Polyethylenimine dispersion inside the pore structure of the material.
As a result of this improvement, further works were developed to study more in depth the behaviour of these materials. Exhaustive works have been focused on the CO2 adsorption capacity as well as the CO2/O2 and CO2/N2 adsorption selectivity of several Polyethylenimine materials with PEI polymers.
Also, Polyethylenimine impregnation has been tested over different supports such as a glass fiber matrix and monoliths.
However, for an appropriate performance under real conditions in post-combustion capture (mild temperatures between 45-75 °C and the presence of moisture) it is necessary to use thermally and hydrothermally stable silica materials, such as SBA-15, which also presents an hexagonal mesostructure.
Moisture and real world conditions have also been tested when using PEI-impregnated materials to adsorb CO2 from the air.
A detailed comparison among Polyethylenimine and other amino-containing molecules showed an excellent performance of PEI-containing samples with cycles.
Also, only a slight decrease was registered in their CO2 uptake when increasing the temperature from 25 to 100 °C, demonstrating a high contribution of chemisorption to the adsorption capacity of these solids.
For the same reason, the adsorption capacity under diluted CO2 was up to 90% of the value under pure CO2 and also, a high unwanted selectivity towards SO2 was observed.
Lately, many efforts have been made in order to improve Polyethylenimine diffusion within the porous structure of the support used.
A better dispersion of Polyethylenimine and a higher CO2 efficiency (CO2/NH molar ratio) were achieved by impregnating a template-occluded PE-MCM-41 material rather than perfect cylindrical pores of a calcined material,following a previously described route.
The combined use of organosilanes such as aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane, AP, and Polyethylenimine has also been studied.
The first approach used a combination of them to impregnate porous supports, achieving faster CO2-adsorption kinetics and higher stability during reutilization cycles, but no higher efficiencies.
A novel method is the so-called "double-functionalization".
Polyethylenimine is based on the impregnation of materials previously functionalized by grafting (covalent bonding of organosilanes).
Amino groups incorporated by both paths have shown synergic effects, achieving high CO2 uptakes up to 235 mg CO2/g (5.34 mmol CO2/g).
CO2 adsorption kinetics were also studied for these materials, showing similar adsorption rates as impregnated solids.
This is an interesting finding, taking into account the smaller pore volume available in double-functionalized materials.
Thus, Polyethylenimine can be also concluded that their higher CO2 uptake and efficiency compared to impregnated solids can be ascribed to a synergic effect of the amino groups incorporated by two methods (grafting and impregnation) rather than to a faster adsorption kinetics.
Low work function modifier for electronics
Poly(ethylenimine) and poly(ethylenimine) ethoxylated (PEIE) have been shown as effective low-work function modifiers for organic electronics by Zhou and Kippelen et al. could universally reduce the work function of metals, metal oxides, conducting polymers and graphene, and so on.
Polyethylenimine is very important that low-work function solution-processed conducting polymer could be produced by the PEI or PEIE modification. Based on this discovery, the polymers have been widely used for organic solar cells, organic light-emitting diodes, organic field-effect transistors, perovskite solar cells, perovskite light-emitting diodes, quantum-dot solar cells and light-emitting diodes etc.
Polyethylenimine, a cationic polymer, has been widely studied and shown great promise as an efficient gene delivery vehicle.
Likewise, the HIV-1 Tat peptide, a cell-permeable peptide, has been successfully used for intracellular gene delivery.
Polyethylenimine can be used as a non-viral synthetic polymer vector for in vivo delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids.
The interaction between negatively charged nucleic acids and positively charged polymer backbone results in the formation of nano-sized complexes.
This neutralized complex protects the enclosed nucleic acid from enzymes and maintains its stability till the cellular uptake takes place.
For example, human serum albumin conjugated PEI shows good pDNA transfection and low toxicity.
Polyethylenimine can be used to functionalize single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs) to improve their solubility and biocompatibility while maintaining the structural integrity of the original SWNT.
Covalently functionalized SWNTs find application in CO2 absorption and gene delivery.
Branched Polyethylenimine can also be used to modify the surface properties of adsorbents.
Polyethylenimine-modified hydrous zirconium oxide/PAN nanofibers are used for the defluorination of groundwater as they show high fluoride adsorption capacity and a wide working pH range.
Polyethylenimine can be used as a precursor to synthesize conjugated polyplexes for efficient gene transfection.
Conjugation of Polyethylenimine with Jeffamine polyether and guanidinylation of the amino groups of PEI reduce the cytotoxicity of the polyplexes and protect them from aggregation in the presence of serum proteins.
Bamboo charcoal impregnated with Polyethylenimine can be used as a CO2 adsorbent. Numerous amino groups present in PEI can react with CO2 due to acid-alkali interaction and enhance the adsorption capacity of bamboo charcoal.
It can also be used to prepare cross-linked water-soluble polymers with high coordination capabilities towards organic drug molecules.
Polyethylenimine is widely used as a transfection agent for delivering DNA, RNA, or siRNA into cells.
Its positive charge allows it to form complexes with negatively charged nucleic acids, facilitating their entry into cells via endocytosis.
Polyethylenimine-based vectors are used in gene therapy to treat genetic disorders by delivering corrective genes to patients' cells.
Polyethylenimine is used to deliver drugs specifically to targeted cells, such as cancer cells.
The polymer can be modified to attach targeting ligands, enhancing specificity and reducing side effects.
Polyethylenimine can be incorporated into drug delivery systems that allow for the controlled release of therapeutic agents over time.
Polyethylenimine is used as a flocculant in water treatment processes to aggregate and remove suspended particles and impurities from water.
Polyethylenimine can chelate with heavy metals, facilitating their removal from wastewater.
Polyethylenimine is used to modify the surface properties of various materials, improving adhesion, wettability, and compatibility.
use to its strong adhesive properties, Polyethylenimine is used in the formulation of industrial adhesives.
Polyethylenimine acts as a stabilizing and reducing agent in the synthesis of nanoparticles, such as gold or silver nanoparticles.
Polyethylenimine is used to stabilize and functionalize nanomaterials, enhancing their performance in various applications.
Polyethylenimine is used in antimicrobial coatings for medical devices and surfaces to prevent bacterial infections.
Polyethylenimine is used in the development of scaffolds and matrices for tissue engineering, promoting cell adhesion and growth.
Polyethylenimine is used to immobilize enzymes on various supports, enhancing their stability and reusability in industrial processes.
Polyethylenimine can act as a support for catalysts in various chemical reactions, improving their efficiency and selectivity.
It is used as a reaction medium in certain chemical processes due to its unique solubility and reactivity properties.
Polyethylenimine is used in hair conditioners and styling products to improve texture and manageability.
Polyethylenimine is used in skin care formulations for its film-forming and conditioning properties.
Polyethylenimine is used to improve the wet and dry strength of paper products.
It is used in textile finishing processes to enhance dye uptake and fabric strength.
Polyethylenimine is used to remove organic pollutants and dyes from industrial effluents.
It is used in soil stabilization processes to improve soil structure and reduce erosion.
Polyethylenimine is used in the development of electrochemical sensors for detecting various analytes.
It is used in battery technologies to improve performance and stability.
Safety Profile:
Polyethylenimine, especially in its high molecular weight form, is cytotoxic.
It can cause damage to cells, leading to cell death.
This is a significant concern in biomedical applications such as gene delivery, where the polymer interacts directly with cells.
Exposure to Polyethylenimine can potentially harm internal organs.
Animal studies have indicated that high doses of Polyethylenimine can lead to damage in organs such as the liver and kidneys.
Polyethylenimine can cause severe irritation to the skin and eyes upon contact.
Direct exposure can result in redness, pain, and potentially more severe skin reactions.
Inhalation of Polyethylenimine dust or aerosols can irritate the respiratory tract.
Prolonged or repeated exposure may lead to respiratory sensitization and other respiratory issues.
Polyethylenimine is a highly reactive compound due to its numerous amine groups.
It can react vigorously with oxidizing agents and other chemicals, leading to hazardous situations if not handled properly.
Polyethylenimine should be stored in tightly sealed containers in a cool, dry place.
Inappropriate storage conditions can lead to degradation or unwanted chemical reactions.
Polyethylenimine is toxic to aquatic life.
If released into water bodies, it can cause significant harm to aquatic organisms and disrupt ecosystems.
Polyethylenimine can persist in the environment, leading to long-term ecological impacts.
