Synthesis, physico-chemical characterization, and antioxidant effect of PEGylated cerium oxide nanoparticles

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) represent a promising class of antioxidant nanoparticles with potential therapeutic value. Due to the easily reversible oxidation states of cerium (Ce³⁺ and Ce⁴⁺) at the nanoscale, CNPs scavenge excessive reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in a self-regenerative manner. In this study, we have demonstrated a simple method to functionalize shape-specific CNPs (i.e., rod- and cube-shaped) with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and studied the effect of PEGylation on the physico-chemical properties, antioxidant activity, and biocompatibility of rod- and cube-shaped CNPs. The chemical conjugation of PEG onto the CNP surface was confirmed by a series of physico-chemical characterizations (¹H-NMR, FTIR, and surface zeta potential). Rod-shaped CNPs demonstrated greater reactive oxygen species scavenging ability compared to cube-shaped CNPs. PEGylation of CNPs did not affect shape, cerium oxidation state, and cytocompatibility. Importantly, PEGylation significantly reduced the amount of proteins adsorbed onto the CNPs. The antioxidant effects of CNPs were maintained in PEGylated CNPs. We envision that PEGylated rod-shaped CNPs synthesized in this study have the potential to be biocompatible nanoparticles that can combat oxidative stress-related diseases.