Cationic/Ionizable Lipids

In the past five years, DC Chemicals has focused on research and development in the RNA delivery field, successfully developing over 500 cationic lipid structures and maintaining an inventory of over 200 cationic lipids. We collaborate with leading gene delivery companies and research institutions worldwide, and our products and services have received widespread acclaim.
DC Chemicals has accumulated substantial experience in the synthesis of lipids, particularly for highly complex lipid molecules. Our unique chemical synthesis and purification processes often circumvent patented and literature-reported routes, allowing us to design new synthetic routes that yield lipid molecules with higher purity than those reported in literature and patents. Our representative molecules, such as LP-01, SM-102, ALC-0315, and DLIN-MC3-DMA, have purities exceeding 98% as tested by CAD-HPLC, placing them among the top purity products available.We have the capability to scale production from grams to kilograms.

Cationic ionizable lipids play a major role in the LNP formulation and its ability to transfect target cells with its cargo. The ionizable lipids are used to complex negatively charged nucleic acid cargo. The mRNA-cationic lipid complex fuses with the cell membrane and is then delivered into the cytosol. To be able to play these roles efficiently, a cationic ionizable lipid must be engineered with a suitable apparent acid dissociation constant (pKa). The apparent pKa of a cationic ionizable lipid is the likely pKa at the LNP surface. Currently, the cationic ionizable lipids in FDA-approved therapeutics all have an apparent pKa between 6-7. This is crucial for the cationic ionizable lipid to maintain a neutral charge while in systemic circulation (pH above the pKa of the lipid, pH ~7.5), as well as its ability to become positively charged in the endosome (pH ~6.5) and facilitate membrane fusion and subsequent cytosolic release.

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Cat. No.	Product Name	Field of Application
DC58046	C12-200 Featured	C12-200 is a well-known cationic lipid used in the formulation of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for the delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids, including siRNA, mRNA, and CRISPR components. It is widely recognized for its high in vivo potency at low doses and is often used as a positive control ionizable lipid in research exploring new ionizable lipids. More description
DC67632	Lipid GL5	GL5 is an ionizable guanidine-based lipid nanoparticle (G-LNP) designed for superior mRNA delivery. Its guanidinocarbonyl-pyrrole (GCP) headgroup enables pH-responsive behavior and strong mRNA binding via bidentate hydrogen bonds. The cholesterol-free GL5-3 formulation forms compact, stable nanoparticles (~90-120 nm) that exhibit excellent spleen-targeting capability after intravenous injection.GL5-LNPs efficiently deliver mRNA to antigen-presenting cells (APCs), enhancing antigen presentation and T cell activation. In cancer immunotherapy models, GL5-based mRNA vaccines provided complete tumor protection and induced durable immune memory. The platform also enables mRNA delivery to other organs like the pancreas via different administration routes, demonstrating remarkable versatility and therapeutic potential. More description
DC67315	Lipid AA15	The AA15 lipid, an amino acid-derived ionizable lipid, integrates a carboxylic acid-containing headgroup and biodegradable branched ester tails (R2) to enhance mRNA delivery. Optimized as AA15V LNP, it exhibits a hydrodynamic diameter of 102.3 ± 4.1 nm, low polydispersity (PDI <0.15), and slightly positive zeta potential (+4–6 mV), enabling efficient tumor-targeted delivery. With a pKa ~6.1–6.4, AA15V ensures protonation in acidic endosomes, promoting mRNA release. It achieves >85% mRNA encapsulation efficiency, critical for stable saRNA delivery. In vitro, AA15V LNP-sSE-SCTs induced sustained SE-SCT expression (69% H-2Kb+β2m+ B16F10 cells at 72 h), outperforming mRNA formulations. In vivo, a single intratumoral dose of AA15V LNP-sSE-SCTs suppressed tumor growth by 22-fold in vaccinated mice, synergizing with checkpoint inhibitors (anti-PD-1/CTLA-4) for complete regression in 28.6% of lymphoma models. Ex vivo, AA15V enabled SE-SCT expression in human glioblastoma (7.1% CD45− cells) and lung cancer samples (5.8–8.7%), underscoring clinical potential. Key data: pKa ~6.3; encapsulation: 85–89%; zeta: +4–6 mV; size: 102.3 ± 4.1 nm. More description
DC67314	Lipid AA2	AA2 lipid is an innovative amino alcohol-derived ionizable lipid designed for optimized mRNA delivery. Its unique structure includes a hydroxyl-containing headgroup that enhances mRNA binding through hydrogen bonds and a branched ester tail (R2) that promotes a cone-shaped architecture, facilitating efficient endosomal escape. Formulated into lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) with a size of 108.6 ± 3.7 nm and a polydispersity index (PDI) below 0.3, AA2 achieves high mRNA encapsulation efficiency (89.0 ± 1.4%) and an ideal pKa of approximately 6.2, ensuring effective endosomal release.In vivo studies demonstrate that AA2 LNP-encapsulated spike mRNA elicits 4.7-fold higher IgG titers and robust CD8+ T-cell responses (characterized by IFN-γ+, TNF-α+, and granzyme B+ markers) compared to SM-102/ALC-0315 LNPs. Notably, AA2 exhibits minimal off-target accumulation, with low biodistribution in the liver and spleen. Its slightly positive surface charge (+3–5 mV) enhances cellular uptake, while the biodegradable ester structure ensures metabolic clearance, reducing potential toxicity. More description
DC60980	ST12 Featured	ST12 is a lipid-conjugated DMXAA prodrug designed for temporally controlled STING activation in mRNA vaccine formulations. Its structure integrates a mouse-specific STING agonist, a biodegradable ester linker, an RNA-interacting tertiary amine domain, and two hydrophobic tails. When incorporated as a partial replacement for SM-102, ST12 preserves early antigen mRNA translation and subsequently releases DMXAA to activate STING. This delayed activation supports localized type I interferon signaling, enhanced antigen-specific CD8-positive T-cell responses, and improved antitumor immunity. In preclinical OVA and HPV tumor models, ST12-based Syn-STING vaccines suppressed tumor growth and prolonged survival. ST12 remains a preclinical research lipid developed specifically around DMXAA-sensitive STING systems. More description
DC67602	ILB-3132（E12LA6B603) Featured	E12LA6B603（ILB3132，ILB-3132） is a novel ionizable amino lipid disclosed in patent WO2024198497A1, developed by MagicRNA, representing a highly efficient component for lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery systems.When formulated into LNPs, E12LA6B603 LNP achieves a remarkable 98.26% encapsulation efficiency for mRNA. It mediates superior in vitro transfection in dendritic cells (1.8E+05 intensity) and demonstrates best-in-class in vivo protein expression after intramuscular injection (2.2E+09 intensity). Most notably, in a B16-OVA melanoma model, therapeutic OVA-mRNA vaccines delivered by E12LA6B603 LNPs induced 100% complete tumor regression, highlighting its superior efficacy over benchmarks like DLin-MC3 and SM-102. Its biodegradable ester linkages and balanced structure make it a promising, potent candidate for next-generation mRNA vaccines and therapeutics. More description
DC60978	C12-2aN Featured	C12-2aN is a crosslinked ionizable lipid developed for mRNA vaccine delivery and dendritic-cell metabolic reprogramming. Its structure combines two piperazine-based ionizable amine cores, a bis-amidine crosslinker, and four hydroxylated C12 hydrophobic tails. When formulated with DOPE, cholesterol, and C14-PEG2000, C12-2aN LNPs enhanced mRNA endosomal escape and activated AMPK–mTORC2-dependent glycolysis, supporting dendritic-cell maturation and antigen presentation. In preclinical mouse studies, C12-2aN LNPs generated robust humoral and cellular immune responses in SARS-CoV-2 RBD and OVA cancer-vaccine models. The formulation also demonstrated reduced liver-associated off-target expression and lower acute inflammatory markers than the tested control formulations. C12-2aN is a preclinical research lipid intended for evaluating metabolically active mRNA vaccine delivery systems. More description
DC80065	113-O12B Featured	113-O12B LNP, an LN-targeting LNP delivery system, is developed for a mRNA cancer vaccine. More description
DC68225	CSi12N3 Featured	CSi12N3 is a bioorthogonally activatable ionizable lipid containing two cleavable silyl-ether-linked C12 tails and a dual-amine headgroup. Formulated as SiLNPs, it remains relatively silent before activation but undergoes Phe-BF3-triggered desilylation, nanoparticle destabilization, and accelerated cytosolic mRNA release. The reported formulation produced up to 44-fold higher mRNA expression than SM-102 LNPs in vitro, with an approximately 10-fold activation-to-silent ratio. In a B16-F10 melanoma model, CSi12N3-based SiLNPs delivering GDNT mRNA induced tumor-localized pyroptosis and inhibited tumor growth without detectable systemic toxicity in the reported study. CSi12N3 is therefore a promising preclinical research lipid for externally controlled, tumor-selective mRNA delivery. More description
DC68220	C6O2B2 Featured	C6O2B2 is a cholesterol-conjugated cationic/ionizable lipid developed for ligand-free mRNA delivery to brain endothelial cells following intravenous administration. Its architecture combines a piperazine-containing polyamine core, four degradable ester-linked hydrophobic tails, and a covalently attached cholesterol moiety through a flexible five-carbon spacer. Among 51 newly synthesized cholesterol-based lipids, C6O2B2 produced the strongest brain luciferase expression. An optimized LNP formulation containing C6O2B2, DODAP, DSPC, and DMG-PEG enabled efficient functional mRNA expression throughout the cerebral vascular network, with preferential transfection of CD31-positive brain endothelial cells and minimal detectable neuronal or glial expression. The formulation preserved BBB integrity in Evans blue and contrast-enhanced MRI assessments. Mechanistic studies associated its activity with improved membrane fusion, enhanced endosomal escape, and ApoA-I enrichment in the protein corona. Delivery of IL-10 mRNA also reduced vascular leakage and inflammatory cytokines in a mouse model of acute neuroinflammation. C6O2B2 remains a preclinical research lipid requiring further pharmacokinetic and repeat-dose evaluation. More description
DC68219	Lipid CY7 Featured	CY7 is an ionizable lipid engineered for localized pulmonary mRNA delivery. Its structure combines a cyclohexane-based core, a 4-dimethylaminopiperidine ionizable headgroup, two ester linkers, and four extended hydrophobic branches. In LNPs formulated with cholesterol, DSPC, and DMG-PEG, CY7 produced substantially higher local luciferase expression and lung-to-liver selectivity than SM-102 following intratracheal administration. CY7 LNPs also enhanced functional mRNA expression in pulmonary neutrophils, endothelial and epithelial cells, as well as dendritic and B cells in lung-draining lymph nodes. When used to deliver PcrV and OprF-I mRNAs, pulmonary CY7 LNP vaccination generated rapid antigen-independent innate protection followed by durable antigen-specific humoral, mucosal, and cellular immunity. In mouse models, it reduced bacterial burden and improved survival following challenge with laboratory and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. CY7 remains a preclinical research lipid requiring further pharmacokinetic, repeat-dose, and translational safety evaluation. More description
DC81060	ATX-001	ATX-001 is a novel ionizable cationic lipid compound for RNA delivery. More description
DC80068	LIPID PL1	PL1 is a novel biomimetic phospholipid. More description
DC80080	OF-C4-Deg-Lin Featured	OF-C4-Deg-Lin is a novel ionizable lipid for RNA delivery. More description
DC80050	LIPID A6 Featured	Lipid A6 is an ionizable cationic and biodegradable alkyne lipid (pKa = 6.65).It has been used with other lipids in the formation of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for the delivery of mRNA. LNPs containing lipid A6 and encapsulating mRNA encoding human erythropoietin (EPO) increase and then maintain homeostatic levels of hemoglobin in the blood in an adenine-induced mouse model of renal anemia. More description
DC81110	TS-202 Featured	TS-202 is a novel ionizable lipid for RNA delivery. More description
DC60494	76-O17Se Featured	76-O17Se is a lipidoid for the efficient delivery of antiCD19 mRNA CAR to murine primary macrophages. 76-O17Se is more efficient than delivery with lipofectamine 2000 (LPF2K) or MC3 More description
DC82115	BAMP-TK-12 Featured	BAmP-TK-12 is a ROS-responsive ionizable lipid designed for tumor-cell mRNA delivery. It features a bis(aminopropyl)piperazine-derived ionizable headgroup and four C12 tails connected through cleavable thioketal linkers. In the reported study, BAmP-TK-12 achieved RFP expression in up to 95% of HeLa cells, comparable to Lipofectamine 3000, with lower cytotoxicity under the tested conditions. ROS-triggered linker cleavage supported intracellular mRNA release in high-ROS tumor cells. When formulated with DUF5 mRNA, the LNP suppressed tumor growth in HCT-116 and A549 xenograft models, supporting its use as a promising preclinical research lipid for stimulus-responsive mRNA delivery. More description
DC31024	SM-86(Lipid 5) Featured	SM86 is a cationic, ionizable lipid developed by Moderna as a core component of its lipid nanoparticle (LNP) platform for mRNA therapeutic delivery.SM-086 is structurally optimized and analogous to SM-102 (used in Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines), with modifications aimed at enhancing mRNA delivery efficiency and safety.SM-86 serves as the primary cationic lipid in three investigational mRNA therapies targeting rare metabolic disorders:mRNA-3927: Restores propionyl-CoA carboxylase activity in propionic acidemia (PA). mRNA-3705: Delivers methylmalonyl-CoA mutase mRNA for methylmalonic acidemia (MMA). mRNA-3210: Provides phenylalanine hydroxylase mRNA to treat phenylketonuria (PKU). More description
DC68211	lipid a12Dab4 Featured	a12Dab4 is a novel, high-performance peptide-based ionizable lipid designed specifically as the core functional building block for lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) targeting challenging or quiescent cell types, such as human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Chemically engineered to possess a unique peptide-mimetic backbone, it provides superior membrane fusion and exceptional endosomal escape capabilities compared to older-generation, industry-standard lipids like Dlin-MC3-DMA and ALC-0315. Functionally, its primary role within the LNP formulation is to complex and efficiently encapsulate sensitive nucleic acid payloads, such as mRNA or CRISPR/Cas9 editing machinery, at an optimal nitrogen-to-phosphate (N/P) ratio. When formulated, a12Dab4 enables maximum cellular transfection and robust genome editing while exhibiting minimal cytotoxicity and preserving the long-term proliferative, self-renewing functionality of primitive stem cell compartments. Although it delivers commendable baseline transfection independently, it functions as an exceptional molecular chassis that synergies seamlessly with surface antibody conjugation (such as anti-CD34) to unlock precise, therapeutic-grade in vivo gene engineering. More description
DC68207	Q1-SM-102 iodide Featured	Q1-SM-102 iodide is a quaternary ammonium lipid derivative of SM-102. Q1-SM-102 iodide can be used to prepare lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for the delivery of mRNA in vivo. Q1-SM-102 iodide is a carriers for targeting delivery of mRNA to immune organs. More description
DC67555	Lipid 2231 Featured	Sail Lipid 2231 is a novel ionizable lipid targeting to spleen developed by Sai Biomedicine.As described on US20250205167A1 Lipid 2231 features a pyrrolidine core (5-membered ring) with biodegradable ester linkages and asymmetric C17/C11 hydrophobic chains. In vivo data shows moderate spleen targeting (Spleen RLU: 3.8E+06) with a spleen-to-liver ratio of 12.767. More description
DC60929	Lipid 2310 Featured	Lipid 2310 is a novel ionizable lipid developed by Sail Biomedicine demonstrates excellent performance with a spleen-to-liver ratio of 5.58 and a very high total expression level of 1.3E+07. Lipid 2310 offers a strong balance of efficient systemic protein production and clear preferential delivery to the spleen. More description
DC60928	Lipid 2306 Featured	Lipid 2306 is a novel ionizable lipid developed by Sail Biomedicine demonstrates excellent performance with a spleen-to-liver ratio of 3.68 and a very high total expression level of 2.5E+07. Lipid 2306 offers a strong balance of efficient systemic protein production and clear preferential delivery to the spleen. More description
DC82209	Lipid 10a-26 Featured	Lipid 10a-26 is an ionizable lipid developed by Orna Therapeutics for lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations. Lipid 10a-26 is a key ionizable lipid in the LNP-6 formulation. Through structural modification, it exhibits reduced binding to ApoE proteins and lowered liver affinity compared to traditional ionizable lipids. Instead, Lipid 10a-26 demonstrates strong splenic tropism—in non-human primate studies, it effectively delivers payloads to the spleen and immune cells in peripheral blood, such as T cells, NK cells, and macrophages, enabling the possibility of "in vivo CAR-T" therapy. Its pKa is tuned to approximately 6.0–6.5, allowing rapid protonation in the acidic endosomal environment, which promotes endosomal membrane disruption and efficient cytosolic release of circular RNA. More description
DC67109	Fluorescent SM-102 (NBD-SM-102) Featured	Fluorescent SM-102 (NBD-SM-102) is a premium, dye-conjugated ionizable cationic lipid designed for advanced nanomedicine and mRNA delivery research. By covalently integrating a bright, green-fluorescent nitrobenzofurazan (NBD) probe into the industry-standard SM-102 skeleton, this high-purity reagent operates as an indispensable visual tracer. It empowers researchers to seamlessly track cellular uptake, monitor tissue biodistribution, and quantify endosomal escape efficiencies via fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Crucially, this NBD-SM-102 derivative preserves the native ionizable property (\(pK_a \approx 6.68\)) and optimal membrane-fusion dynamics required for lipid nanoparticle (LNP) assembly and transfection, ensuring experimental formulations accurately mimic functional delivery vectors. This reliable reagent is ideal for accelerating lipid-mix optimization, high-throughput screening, and nucleic acid therapeutics development pipeline. More description
DC68205	CA-20 Featured	CA-20 is a bile acid-derived sterol designed to replace cholesterol in mRNA LNPs. It achieves high mRNA encapsulation efficiency up to 87.4% and forms uniform, spherical nanoparticles with ordered membrane structures confirmed by cryo-TEM and MD simulations. In vivo, CA-20 drastically cuts hepatic mRNA expression while shifting nearly all gene expression to the spleen, driven by reduced ApoE protein binding on LNP surfaces. Using HA mRNA vaccines, CA-20 LNPs trigger stronger antigen-specific IgG, neutralizing antibodies, memory B cells and IFN-γ-secreting T cells than cholesterol LNPs. Acute safety tests prove CA-20 causes minimal liver damage, with normal serum liver enzymes and intact organ histology, delivering balanced superior immunogenicity and low liver toxicity for spleen-targeted mRNA vaccine delivery. More description
DC60564	Lipid GVS-18-B6 Featured	GVS-18-B6 is a silicon ether-based ionizable lipid (pKa:6.15) developed by Genevant, optimized for mRNA-LNP delivery, characterized by a short-chain trialkyl structure with three C10 alkyl chains (including a cis double bond) and a dimethylamino (DMA) head group linked via a 4-carbon spacer (pKa ~6.15). Its LNP formulations exhibit a narrow particle size distribution (89 nm, PDI=0.06), high mRNA encapsulation efficiency (90%), and pH-dependent surface charge (−0.11 mV at pH 7.5 vs. +2.69 mV at pH 5.5), facilitating endosomal escape. In vivo, GVS-18-B6 demonstrated superior liver-specific mRNA expression (5.30×10⁷ pg EGFP/g liver, 2.6× higher than MC3) with minimal spleen accumulation (liver/spleen ratio 92:1 vs. MC3’s 10:1), attributed to rapid non-enzymatic hydrolysis of its silicon ether bonds. This mechanism enables near-complete hepatic clearance within 6 hours in mice and 24 hours in NHPs, avoiding long-term organ retention (MC3 retained 25% in liver after 28 days). Compared to benchmarks (MC3, SM-102, LP-01), GVS-18-B6 showed enhanced potency in RBC hemolysis assays (pH 6.2), indicating earlier endosomal membrane disruption, and maintained stability through 12-month frozen storage or repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Toxicity profiling revealed minimal immunogenicity (MCP-1 levels 0.58×10⁶ vs. MC3’s 1.10×10⁶) and no ALT/AST elevation or anti-PEG antibody induction in NHPs after repeated dosing. Its species-agnostic clearance, low off-target effects, and high tolerability (6 mg/kg dose in mice) position GVS-18-B6 as a leading candidate for chronic disease therapies requiring frequent mRNA administration. More description
DC67540	Lipid A5-CE-C7-6(3 tail) Featured	A5-CE-C7-6 (3-tail analog) is a structural control compound derived from the standard 2-tail lipid(A5-CE-C7-6), with three carbonate alkyl chains linked to the A5 amine core. More description
DC60947	Lilly lipid 51 Featured	Lipid 51 is a top-performing thioglycerol-based biodegradable ionizable lipid disclosed in PCT patent WO2026/147683 (Eli Lilly, filed Dec 16, 2025). Built with cleavable thioester linkages, it balances neutral surface charge at physiological pH and protonatable amines in acidic endosomes for efficient mRNA encapsulation and endosomal escape. Formulated into LNPs with DSPC, cholesterol and DMG-PEG2K, it exhibits favorable particle size, low PDI and high RNA loading efficiency. In intracerebroventricular (ICV) mouse tests targeting central nervous system (CNS), it delivers Cre mRNA to brain neurons far more potently than Lipid 1/2/3, with the highest tissue fluorescent signal among all tested candidates. It shows low cellular toxicity in vitro and robust CNS tropism, making it an optimal carrier for brain-targeted mRNA and CRISPR gene editing therapeutics. More description

Cationic/Ionizable Lipids

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