Scheme 1.
(A) Structure of BFDMA, a redox-active ferrocenyl lipid. (B-C) Schematic illustration demonstrating core principles: (B) Lipoplexes of oxidized BFDMA (gray) are inactive and can be distributed uniformly over cells without promoting transfection. (C) Controlled administration of soluble or solid-phase reducing agents results in localized activation of lipoplexes (red) and spatially controlled transfection (green); adjacent cells are unaffected.