Surface functionality as a means to impact polymer nanoparticle size and structure.

Julia Schneider, Andrew P Jallouk, Daniela Vasquez, Ralf Thomann, Aurélien Forget, Christopher J Pino, V Prasad Shastri

Index: Langmuir 29(12) , 4092-5, (2013)

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Abstract

When polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) are formed by nanoprecipitation, which is a nucleation-growth process, the control over size requires changing the polymer concentration or solvent composition. Here, we demonstrate that the NP size can be controlled independent of polymer variables by introducing a polyelectrolyte (PE) in the aqueous phase. PEs that exhibit hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) yield a reduction in NP size, whereas PEs that do not possess this characteristic promote the formation of larger NPs. The observed effect can be attributed to the formation of a diffusional barrier around the NP in the form of a dense shell. This principle of controlling NP size is not limited to polymers and can also be employed in the production of lipid NPs.