Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization-Based Synthesis of ICG-Containing Amphiphilic Triblock Copolymers for in Vivo Tumor Imaging

Water-soluble triblock copolymers consisting of hydrophobic-hydrophilic-dye segments were synthesized by ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of norbornadiene monomers, copper-catalyzed click reaction, osmium-catalyzed dihydroxylation, and the following transformations. These polymers in aqueous conditions could form spherical assemblies, whose diameters were 50-60 nm by TEM measurement. From in vivo optical imaging experiments, the spherical assemblies of these copolymers could be efficiently accumulated in tumor cells. In addition, the spherical assemblies of water-soluble polymers accumulated in a tumor cell over two weeks.