Polyethylenimine-immobilized core-shell nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization, and biocompatibility test

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Core-shell nanoparticles offer versatile platforms for biomedical applications.
• Polyethylenimine (PEI) is a cationic polymer widely used in gene delivery but can exhibit cytotoxicity.
• Developing safer and effective PEI-based nanocarriers is crucial for advanced biomedical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize PEI-immobilized core-shell nanoparticles with varying polymer cores.
• To investigate the influence of different monomers on nanoparticle properties and PEI grafting.
• To evaluate the in vitro biocompatibility and cellular uptake of these novel nanoparticles for potential biomedical uses.

Main Methods:

• Visible light-induced surfactant-free emulsion polymerization (SFEP) of styrene, MMA, and HEMA to create polymer cores.
• Immobilization of PEI onto the nanoparticle shells.
• Characterization of nanoparticle size, morphology, and PEI grafting.
• In vitro cytotoxicity and cellular internalization studies using Caco-2 cells.

Main Results:

• Successfully prepared PEI-immobilized core-shell nanoparticles with hydrodynamic sizes ranging from 140-230 nm.
• Monomer polarity influenced monomer conversion, PEI grafting, particle stability, and amino group density.
• Incorporation of PEI into the core-shell structure significantly reduced cytotoxicity.
• Nanoparticles demonstrated efficient internalization within Caco-2 cells.

Conclusions:

• PEI-immobilized core-shell nanoparticles synthesized via SFEP are biocompatible and possess desirable characteristics for biomedical applications.
• These nanoparticles show potential as effective carriers for gene transfection and intracellular drug delivery.
• The tunable nature of the core-shell structure allows for optimization for specific delivery requirements.