Functionalization of colloidal nanoparticles (NPs) with polyethylene glycol (PEG), i.e. PEGylation, is among the most widely employed surface modification methods to provide NPs with enhanced colloidal stability in physiological media, as well as to reduce unspecific adsorption of proteins (i.e. the formation of the protein corona). Indeed, PEGylation has been demonstrated to increase the blood circulation time of colloids in animal models. Although the word PEGylation is often used to describe NP grafting with PEG, as it was a universal type of coating, the molecular weight and end-terminal groups of PEG can significantly change the physicochemical properties of the colloids. In this work, we have investigated the impact of different PEGylations <i>in vitro</i>. Gold colloids of increasing sizes were modified with thiolated PEG chains of decreasing sizes, respectively, which allowed us to produce different types of PEGylated gold NPs with the ca. same hydrodynamic size and similar stiffness, different size of inorganic core and organic shell thickness. Moreover, the net charge of the NPs was modified to investigate the effect of the charge. The in vitro results reveal distinct cellular effects which can be correlated with the physicochemical properties of the PEGylated NPs.

Impact of gold nanoparticles on cells: PEGylation’s type matters

249th National Meeting (2015)

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