Rhodamine b chloride

First, 2-(Trimethylsililoxy)ethyl methacrylate and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMATMS and HEMA, Aldrich) were dried under molecular sieves. Second, 2-(N,N,N-Trimethylammonium)ethyl methacrylate chloride (ChMA, Aldrich, St. Louis, MI, USA) as an 80% solution in water was dried under reduced pressure until a constant weight was achieved. Rhodamine B chloride (RhB, POCH S.A.), bipyridine (bpy, Sigma-Aldrich) and α-bromoisobutyryl bromide (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MI, USA) were used without purification. Copper(I) bromide (Sigma-Aldrich) was purified as described in [38 (link)]. Methanol, tetrahydrofuran (THF), dimethylformamide (DMF) and other solvents were purchased from Chempur and stored under molecular sieves.

Rhodamine B chloride, rhodamine 110 chloride, rhodamine 123, phosphate buffered saline (10× concentrate, 0.2 µM filtered), sodium tetraphenylborate [Na][TPB], dichloromethane (DCM), dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), 1-octanol, sodium hydroxide (NaOH), citric acid monohydrate, and sodium phosphate dibasic were all purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (Milwaukee, WI, USA). Lithium bis(perfluoroethylsulfonyl)imide ([Li][BETI]) was obtained from Ionic Liquid Technologies (Tuscaloosa, Al, USA). Triply deionized water was obtained using an Aires High Purity Water System (Port Allen, LA, USA). The MTT (3-[4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) cell viability assay was purchased from Promega Corporation (Madison, WI, USA). TEM grids were purchased from Ted Pella (Redding, CA, USA). SNAFR-5 dye was provided to us by one of our coauthors, Dr. Robert Strongin (Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA).

Rhodamine B chloride, acetonitrile, methanol, poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) K90 and hydrochloric acid (HCl) were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (Gillingham, Dorset, UK). Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) RG504H, was obtained from Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH (Ingelheim, Germany). Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) was obtained from VWR International (Lutterworth, Leicestershire, UK). PVP K29/30 was obtained from Ashland Inc. (Kidderminster, UK).