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Home > RNA Delivery > Cationic/Ionizable Lipids

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 Chemical Structure
DC67533 ATX-132
ATX-132 is a novel ionizable lipid used in the formulation of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for the delivery of RNA developed by Arcturus.
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DC67532 ATX-111
ATX-111 is a novel ionizable lipid used in the formulation of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for the delivery of RNA developed by Arcturus.
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DC67530 HY-501​​ Featured
HY-501​​ is a next-generation cationically ionizable lipid engineered for high-efficiency RNA delivery developed by Biontech. Formulated at ​​40–50 mol%​​ in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) alongside DSPC, cholesterol, and polysarcosine-conjugated lipid ​​C14pSar23​​, HY-501 yields uniform, stable particles (80–100 nm) with >90% RNA encapsulation. It demonstrates ​​superior in vivo performance​​: driving 2-fold higher protein expression than benchmark lipids (EA-405/HY-405) in muscle tissue, minimizing off-target liver accumulation, and reducing immunogenic risks (near-zero complement activation and <5% hemolysis). Preclinically, HY-501-based LNPs encoding SARS-CoV-2 spike protein elicit potent neutralizing antibodies and T-cell responses, underscoring its utility in precision vaccines. Its combination of scalable synthesis, exceptional transfection efficiency, and biosafety establishes HY-501 as a transformative vector for therapeutic RNA delivery.
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DC67541 Yoltech lipid 4
Yoltech lipid 4​​, a highly efficient ionizable lipid disclosed in patent PCT/CN2023/116607, features a central tertiary amine group flanked by hydrophobic tails—specifically, a bis(2-ethylhexyl) core and a linoleyl (C18:2) chain linked via ester bonds. This structure enables pH-responsive behavior critical for mRNA/LNP delivery: neutral in circulation (reducing toxicity) but protonated in endosomes to facilitate membrane disruption and payload release. In murine studies targeting liver PCSK9, Compound 4 achieved ​​~90% gene-editing efficiency​​. Its optimized formulation yields LNPs of ​​70–150 nm​​ with >​​90% encapsulation​​, ideal for hepatocyte-specific delivery.
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DC67539 Lipid CS22021
CS22021 is a novel, synthetically engineered ionizable sterol lipid (ISL) developed by CanSino, specifically designed for advanced mRNA delivery via lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Its core innovation lies in its unique molecular architecture, which integrates a cholesterol moiety directly conjugated to a branched aliphatic tail (derived from ALC-0315) and a hydrophilic headgroup containing tertiary amines. This bifunctional design allows CS22021 to simultaneously fulfill the roles of both the ionizable lipid (for mRNA binding/encapsulation and endosomal escape) and the structural cholesterol component within LNPs. Consequently, CS22021 enables the formulation of highly efficient three-component LNPs (ISL-3C-LNPs), eliminating the need for free cholesterol, using only itself, the phospholipid DOPE (crucial for forming stable, uniform nanoparticles without defects), and a PEGylated lipid. When formulated into LNPs and administered intramuscularly, CS22021 demonstrates a critical property: it achieves localized mRNA expression predominantly at the injection site, significantly minimizing off-target delivery (especially to the liver/spleen) and associated systemic toxicity. Furthermore, mRNA vaccines delivered by CS22021-based LNPs elicit robust and balanced immune responses, including strong antigen-specific IgG antibodies and, notably, a significantly enhanced CD8+ T cell response compared to conventional four-component LNPs. This combination of efficient mRNA encapsulation/delivery, localized expression for improved safety, and potent induction of cellular immunity, particularly CD8+ T cells, positions CS22021 as a highly promising lipid platform, especially for next-generation mRNA vaccine applications like cancer immunotherapy.
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DC67543 ATX L2
L2 is a redox-responsive lipid engineered for ​​ultra-potent siRNA delivery​​. With shorter hexyl (C6) tails and a carbamate linker, it demonstrates the ​​fastest biodegradation​​ (liver half-life: 2.6 days) among tested lipids. L2 achieves >80% FVII gene knockdown at just 0.01 mg/kg—surpassing both L1 and MC3 in siRNA potency. Its higher apparent pKa (6.90) enhances endosomal disruption, correlating with strong in vitro hEPO expression. While slightly less effective for mRNA than L1, L2’s unmatched siRNA silencing efficiency, rapid cytosolic self-immolation, and low cytotoxicity position it as a leading candidate for RNAi therapeutics targeting hepatic diseases.
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DC60502 GalNAc Lipid GL6(GalNAc Lipid 1004) Featured
GL6 is a trivalent GalNAc-lipid conjugate designed for ASGPR-mediated hepatic delivery. It features a lysine-based scaffold covalently linked to three GalNAc moieties via a ​36-unit PEG spacer, anchored by a ​1,2-O-dioctadecyl-sn-glyceryl (DSG) lipid tail. This structure balances ligand accessibility (via optimized PEG length) and nanoparticle stability (via hydrophobic DSG anchoring). Compared to GL3 (TRIS scaffold, same PEG length), GL6’s simplified lysine scaffold improves manufacturability. In LDLR-deficient models, GL6 enabled ​61% liver editing (vs. 5% with standard LNPs) at 2 mg/kg, demonstrating superior ASGPR targeting. Its design minimizes ligand crowding (0.05 mol% surface density) while maximizing endosomal escape and durable gene editing.
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DC67552 MeTis Lipid 5
MeTis Lipid 5 is an ​​ionizable lipid​​ featuring a ​​pyrazole-based headgroup​​ and biodegradable ​​C8-ester twin tails​​ developed by MeTis Pharmaceuticals​​ (Patent CN118290339B)​​. It demonstrated ​​breakthrough in vivo efficacy​​ (7.08E+10 photons, luciferase assay), ​​surpassing MC3 lipid by 8.8-fold​​ in systemic mRNA delivery. The molecule achieves optimal ​​safety-profile​​ (96.4% cell viability) and ​​encapsulation efficiency​​ (96.4%), forming LNPs of ​​108.9 nm (PDI 0.17)​​ at N/P 6. Its ester-enabled rapid metabolization and balanced hydrophobicity position lipid 5 as a candidate for next-gen mRNA therapeutics.
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DC67551 Lipid CDL9
CDL9​​ is an original cyclic disulfide lipid first designed, synthesized, and functionally validated in the study "In Vivo Demonstration of Enhanced mRNA Delivery by Cyclic Disulfide-Containing Lipid Nanoparticles for Facilitating Endosomal Escape" published in ​​RSC Medicinal Chemistry​​ (DOI: 10.1039/D5MD00084J).Its molecular architecture—featuring a ​​C18:2 di-unsaturated alkyl chain​​ linked to a tertiary amine headgroup modified with an α-lipoic acid-derived cyclic disulfide unit—was explicitly detailed in the paper's lipid library. Experimental data from this study demonstrated CDL9’s capacity to boost mRNA delivery efficiency by 6-fold in vitro and 5-fold in vivo when integrated into SM102-based LNPs, leveraging thiol-disulfide exchange for enhanced endosomal escape.
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DC67409 Galnac Lipid 83 Featured
Galnac Lipid 83 is developed by Prime Medicine Patent: WO2024220807.Galnac Lipid 83 83 is a GalNAc-conjugated lipid designed for targeted liver delivery. It features a triantennary GalNAc ligand linked via a PEG spacer (e.g., -(CH2CH2O)n-) to a branched hydrophobic tail (C18 alkyl chains). The structure includes amide/ester bonds for stability and a stereospecific configuration (R/S) to optimize ASGPR receptor binding. Integrated into lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), it enhances hepatic uptake of nucleic acids (e.g., mRNA, gene editors) by leveraging ASGPR-mediated endocytosis. Its design balances hydrophilicity (PEG) and lipophilicity (alkyl chains) for efficient encapsulation and in vivo delivery, supporting therapeutic applications in liver-specific gene editing or RNA therapies.
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DC67554 MeTis Lipid 1
MeTis Lipid 1 is an ionizable lipid featuring a pentacyclic core with geminal dimethyl groups and symmetrical C9 alkyl chains developed by Metis Pharm. According to Patent WO 2025/140421 A1, Lipid 1 demonstrated exceptional biological performance including: the highest SARS-CoV-2 neutralization titer (NT50 1:2146, 5.7-fold higher than ALC0315), potent humoral immunity with COVID-19 IgG titers reaching 1:1,000,000 post-boost and exclusive validation for VZV-gE IgG (1:1,000,000), favorable biophysical properties (124.5 nm LNP diameter, 0.2 PDI, 85% encapsulation efficiency), and excellent safety profile (hERG IC₅₀ >30 μM, Mini-Ames negative), establishing it as the lead compound in nucleic acid vaccine delivery.
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DC67408 Galnac Lipid 29 Featured
Galnac Lipid 29 is from Prime Medicine Patent: WO2024220807. Compound 29 is a GalNAc-functionalized lipid featuring a tripartite structure: an N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) targeting moiety for ASGPR-mediated liver uptake, a flexible PEG-based linker (e.g., ethylene glycol repeats), and dual C18 alkyl chains for lipid nanoparticle (LNP) integration. Its design includes stereospecific amide/urethane bonds (R/S configurations) to optimize stability and ligand orientation. Preclinical data demonstrate enhanced prime editing efficiency (>2-fold vs controls) in hepatocytes at low doses, attributed to improved endosomal escape and payload release. The compound enables liver-specific delivery of CRISPR systems while minimizing off-target accumulation, with <5% activity in non-hepatic cells.
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DC67570 Generation Lipid 87 Featured
Lipid-87​​ is an ionizable lipid developed by Generation Bio, characterized by its ​​tertiary amine group​​ for pH-dependent protonation and ​​dual C16/C17 aliphatic chains​​ that enhance hydrophobic stability.As the core component (47.5–57.5 mol%) of stealth lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), Lipid87 enables extended blood circulation (>24-hour half-life vs. 30 min for conventional LNPs) by synergizing with steric-stabilizing polymers (e.g., DSG-PEG₂₀₀₀-OMe), achieves >95% encapsulation efficiency for mRNA/ceDNA with low cytotoxicity (IC₅₀ >100 μM), and drives liver-specific targeting (>80% hepatocyte transfection at 0.5 mpk), effectively restoring 40% FIX activity in hemophilia B models for over 7 days.
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DC67566 CureVac Lipid C24(CVL1,VitE-C4DE-Pip- S)
CVL1 (C24)​​ is an ionizable lipid developed by CureVac for mRNA delivery, featuring a vitamin E (α-tocopherol) core linked via a thioether bridge to piperidine-based cationic headgroups. Its unique design enables pH-dependent charge switching (neutral at physiological pH, cationic in endosomes) for efficient mRNA encapsulation and endosomal escape. Formulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) with DPhyPS and PMOZ4, CVL1 preferentially targets spleen and lymph node dendritic cells (DCs), enhancing antigen presentation and T-cell immunity. Key advantages include high mRNA encapsulation (>90%), stability under lyophilization, and reduced liver accumulation compared to PEGylated LNPs. In preclinical studies, CVL1-based LNPs induced robust CD8+/CD4+ T-cell responses and IgG2a-dominant antibody titers against tumor antigens (e.g., Trp2). With a particle size of 70–120 nm and low polydispersity (PDI <0.2), CVL1 balances delivery efficiency and biocompatibility, making it ideal for cancer and infectious disease vaccines requiring strong cellular immunity. Its degradable ester and thioether bonds further improve safety profiles.
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DC49237 DODAP hydrochloride
DODAP (hydrochloride) is an ionizable lipid. DODAP (hydrochloride) has the potential for the research of gene delivery.
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DC60671 THP1
THP1 is a tetrahydropyrimidine ionizable lipid for mRNA delivery. THP1 demonstrates higher transfection efficiency comparable to DLin-MC3-DMA (MC3). THP1 LNPs also demonstrates the ability to edit genes in specific liver tissues in a tdTomato transgenic mouse model.
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DC60619 12T-O14
12T-O14 is a amidine-incorporated degradable (AID) lipid for versatile mRNA delivery. 12T-O14-LNPs mediate efficient intramuscular delivery of mRNA vaccines and systemic delivery of mRNA therapeutics without noticeable toxicity. 12T-O14 serves as a superior supplementary lipid to redirect liver-tropic LNPs to selectively target the lung or spleen via simple adjustment of the formulation.
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DC89031 SM-102 IMPURITY 2
SM-102 N-oxide is potential impurity in commercial preparations of SM-102.
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DC65619 Lipid 11-A-M Featured
LNP Lipid-8 (11-A-M) is an ionizable lipid, which can be used for lipid nanoparticles (LNP) to deliver siRNA to T cells without targeting to ligands. LNP LIPs-8 loaded with GFP siRNA (siGFP), and significantly causes GFP gene silencing in mice model.
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DC67118 PNI 132 Featured
PNI 132, an ionizable lipid derived from the patent WO2020252589A developed by Precision Nanosystem, is useful in the formulation of lipid nanoparticles.
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DC60352 DDAB
DC33635 DODAP Featured
DODAP, also known as 1,2-Dioleoyl-3-dimethylammonium-propane, is a cationic lipid. It has been used as a component in liposomes that can be used to encapsulate siRNA, immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotides, antisense oligonucleotides, or chemotherapeutic agents for in vitro and in vivo delivery.
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DC33636 DOTAP Featured
DOTAP, also known as 1,2-Dioleoyl-3-trimethylammoniumpropane, is a cationic liposome-forming compound used for transfection of DNA, RNA, and other negatively charged molecules into eukaryotic cells. It has been used in gene delivery vectors for gene ther
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DC65362 BP Lipid 114 Featured
BP Lipid 114 is a well-designed ionizable lipid optimized for mRNA encapsulation and delivery. Its ethanolamine headgroup, ester bonds at the C6 and C8 positions, and 9-carbon tail contribute to efficient mRNA complexation, stability during delivery, and improved biodegradability. These properties make it a valuable component in LNPs for gene therapy and other mRNA-based therapeutic applications.
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DC65390 BP Lipid 135 Featured
BP Lipid 135 is a well-designed ionizable lipid optimized for mRNA encapsulation and delivery. Its propanolamine headgroup, ester bonds at the C8 position, and 9-carbon tail contribute to efficient mRNA complexation, stability during delivery, and improved biodegradability. These properties make it a valuable component in LNPs for gene therapy and other mRNA-based therapeutic applications.
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DC82301 IC-8 Featured
IC8 is an ionizable cationic lipid. It has been used in combination with other lipids for the formation of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Immunization with severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike glycoprotein mRNA in IC8- and manganese-containing LNPs induces IgG responses to SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron variants in mice.1 Administration of mRNA encoding B7-H3 X CD3 bispecific T cell engaging (BiTE) antibodies in IC8-containing LNPs reduces tumor growth in MV4-11 and A375 mouse xenograft models.
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DC80070 A2-Iso5-2DC18 Featured
A2-Iso5-2DC18 is a top-performing lipid for mRNA delivery in bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs), BMDMs and HeLa cells.
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DC60215 Moderna Lipid 29 Featured
Lipid 29 is an ionizable amino lipid (pKa = 6.91) from Moderna platform that has been used in combination with other lipids in the formation of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs).Administration of human erythropoietin (EPO) mRNA in lipid 29-containing LNPs increases serum EPO levels in mice.
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DC49908 OF-02 Featured
OF-02 (OF-2) is an alkenyl amino alcohol (AAA) ionizable lipid for highly potent in vivo mRNA delivery.Alkenyl amino alcohols (AAA) are a functional group found in sphingosine and other bioactive molecules. It was used to prepare AAA-based ionizable lipids through ring-opening reactions between alkenyl epoxides (AEs) and polyamine cores. These AAA-based iLNPs could promote high-level protein expression Therefore, AAA-based ionizable lipids OF-00, OF-01, OF-02, and OF-03 were prepared. The results of in vivo delivery of human erythropoietin (hEPO) mRNA showed that the AAA ionizable lipid OF-02 with the linoleic acid derivative could effectively deliver hEPO mRNA. Compared with the positive control CKK-E12, OF-02 showed an increased ability to induce serum EPO protein expression by nearly twofold (Figure 7b). Likewise, it outperformed two benchmark ionizable lipids (503013 and C12-200) in the nucleic acid delivery field. Furthermore, the mRNA delivered by OF-02 iLNPs was mainly in vivo.translated into the liver. The liver-targeting ability of OF-02 iLNPs improves their delivery efficiency. Therefore, the OF-02 iLNPs may become excellent delivery vehicles for the treatment of liver diseases without other side effects of damage to other organs during the treatment
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DC60475 CL4F8-6 Featured
CL4F8-6 is an ionizable cationic lipid (pKa = 6.14) that has been used in combination with other lipids in the formation of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs).1 LNPs containing CL4F8-6 and encapsulating an mRNA reporter accumulate specifically in the mouse liver after intravenous administration. LNPs containing CL4F8-6 and encapsulating mRNA encoding the Cas9 nuclease (mCas9) and single-guide RNA (sgRNA) targeting Ttr (sgTtr), the gene encoding transthyretin, have been used to induce CRISPR-mediated gene knockdown in mice resulting in a reduction of serum levels of TTR.
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