Development of Stimuli-Responsive Ferrocene Surfactants for Drug Delivery Systems (DDS)

Development of Stimuli-Responsive Ferrocene Surfactants for Drug Delivery Systems (DDS)

Professor (Graduate School of Science and Engineering)
KIJIMA Tatsuro

Our laboratory conducts research on functional soft materials based on organic chemistry and interfacial science. One of our most notable achievements is the development of redox-responsive ferrocene-based surfactants.

Ferrocene is an organometallic compound with a unique sandwich structure that exhibits stable and reversible redox behavior in response to external stimuli. By incorporating this functionality into surfactants, we have succeeded in controlling the self-assembled vesicular structures—allowing them to disassemble and reassemble depending on their redox state or the presence of metal ions.

This property enables temporary encapsulation of drug molecules and controlled release in response to specific stimuli, making it a promising platform for drug delivery systems (DDS). Furthermore, by introducing functional groups such as crown ethers, it is possible to develop highly functionalized soft materials with metal ion selectivity and molecular recognition capabilities.

Research on ferrocene-based surfactants represents a pioneering approach in stimuli-responsive material science, based on molecular-level structural control. It serves as a bridge between fundamental chemistry and practical applications.