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Well-Defined SiO2@P(EtOx-stat-EI) Core-Shell Hybrid Nanoparticles via Sol-Gel Processes
Oliver Eckardt1,2, Christian Pietsch1,2, Oliver Zumann1,2
1Institute of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Humboldtstr. 10, 07743, Jena, Germany.
Macromolecular Rapid Communications
|December 18, 2015
Summary
Positively charged silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) were synthesized for gene delivery. These NPs can be further modified for gold nanoparticle deposition, expanding their biomedical applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Positively charged nanoparticles are crucial for biomedical applications like nonviral gene delivery.
- Developing novel nanomaterials with tunable surface properties is essential for advanced therapeutics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) with a covalently grafted poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEtOx) shell.
- To investigate the transformation of these NPs into positively charged particles for potential biomedical applications.
- To explore the utility of the modified NPs for subsequent gold nanoparticle (Au NP) deposition.
Main Methods:
- Microwave-supported cationic ring-opening polymerization to synthesize PEtOx with specific degrees of polymerization.
- End-functionalization of PEtOx with a triethoxysilyl linker for grafting onto silica particles.
- Characterization using dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM, cryoTEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
- Thermal gravimetrical analysis (TGA) to quantify polymer grafting.
- ζ-potential measurements to determine surface charge changes after in situ transformation.
Main Results:
- SiO2@PEtOx nanoparticles were successfully synthesized and characterized, with varying sizes (7, 31, 152 nm hydrodynamic radii).
- In situ transformation under acidic conditions converted SiO2@PEtOx to SiO2@P(EtOx-stat-EI), inverting the surface charge from negative to positive.
- The resulting positively charged shell demonstrated potential for subsequent gold nanoparticle deposition.
Conclusions:
- The study presents a method for creating tunable, positively charged silica nanoparticles via PEtOx grafting and subsequent transformation.
- These modified nanoparticles hold promise for gene delivery and other biomedical applications.
- The developed platform allows for further functionalization, such as Au NP deposition, enhancing their versatility.
