An essential ability that nanoparticles (NPs) must possess for applications in biologic systems is water solubility. A viable method for the phase transfer of hydrophobic synthesized NPs into aqueous solution is to coat the NPs with an amphiphilic polymer. When synthesizing inorganic NPs within organic solvents, the stabilization in solution is usually achieved by surfactants comprising <i>n</i>-alkane chains. By using a polymer for coating the NPs carrying hydrophobic side chains (<i>n</i>-alkyl chain of the same length) plus a hydrophilic backbone, the NP can be transferred to an aqueous milieu. Along with the coating procedure comes the formation of different sized micelles of polymer. Former studies showed that using size exclusion chromatography (e.g. gel electrophoresis), micelles with equal size like the coated NPs remain in solution. Using ultracentrifugation (in case of smaller NPs) as work up procedure leads to micelle free conditions, but along comes a loss in colloidal stability of NPs. Investigations for surface functionalizations indeed need to be tuned. A collection of synthesis, phase transfer and characterization of a variety of inorganic NPs thus provides the foundation for future investigations.

Synthesis, characterization and functionalization of inorganic, water soluble nanoparticles

253rd National Meeting (2017)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.