Premium
Polyoxyethylene‐coated nanospheres: effect of coating on zeta potential and phagocytosis
Author(s) -
Gref Ruxandra,
Miralles Grégory,
Dellacherie Édith
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
polymer international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.592
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1097-0126
pISSN - 0959-8103
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0126(199904)48:4<251::aid-pi104>3.0.co;2-4
Subject(s) - zeta potential , phagocytosis , polylactic acid , molar mass , pulmonary surfactant , chemical engineering , surface charge , materials science , polymer chemistry , amphiphile , particle (ecology) , coating , particle size , copolymer , chemistry , nanoparticle , nanotechnology , composite material , microbiology and biotechnology , polymer , oceanography , engineering , geology , biology
Polylactic acid (PLA) nanospheres coated withmonomethoxypolyoxyethylene (MPOE) were prepared fromamphiphilic diblock copolymers (MPOE‐PLA) by anemulsion–evaporation procedure in the presence of sodiumcholate as surfactant. Nanospheres with various concentrations ofMPOE at their surface and various MPOE molar masses were obtained byusing blends of PLA with different MPOE‐PLA. The surfaceproperties of these nanospheres were analysed, firstly by measuringthe particle zeta potential and secondly by studying theirphagocytosis by monocytes. It was found that the increase in MPOEconcentration and molar mass provoked a disappearance of the negativecharge at the surface together with a decrease in the extent ofphagocytosis. It is concluded that the brush of MPOE at the particlesurface masks the PLA carboxylate end‐groups, lowers the PLAhydrophobic character and, above all, hampers the approach of theproteins responsible for phagocytosis. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry