Description
General Description
Folate-PEG-OH is a versatile targeting PEG linker designed for receptor-specific drug delivery and polymer functionalization. The terminal folate ligand exhibits high affinity for the folate receptor (FR), particularly FR-α, which is overexpressed in numerous cancer cells, including ovarian, breast, lung, kidney, and certain colorectal cancers. This enables selective cellular uptake through receptor-mediated endocytosis.
The terminal hydroxyl group serves as a convenient synthetic handle and can be readily converted into a wide variety of functional groups, including carboxyl, amine, NHS ester, maleimide, azide, alkyne, aldehyde, acrylate, methacrylate, epoxide, and thiol. This flexibility makes Folate-PEG-OH an important intermediate for synthesizing customized PEG derivatives and targeted delivery systems.
The hydrophilic PEG spacer improves water solubility, molecular flexibility, and biocompatibility while reducing steric hindrance and minimizing nonspecific protein adsorption. Folate-PEG-OH is widely employed in targeted nanoparticles, liposomes, polymer therapeutics, biosensors, molecular imaging probes, and advanced biomaterials.
Applications
- Targeted drug delivery
- Cancer-targeting nanoparticles
- Polymer synthesis
- PEG linker synthesis
- Liposome functionalization
- Molecular imaging
- Surface modification
- Nanoparticle functionalization
- Biomaterials engineering
- Biomedical research
Features and Benefits
- Folate receptor targeting ligand
- Terminal hydroxyl group
- Excellent water solubility
- Excellent biocompatibility
- Reduced steric hindrance
- Low nonspecific protein adsorption
- Versatile synthetic intermediate
- Suitable for receptor-mediated targeting
- Available in multiple PEG molecular weights
