Guiding the location of nanoparticles into vesicular structures: a morphological study

Phys Chem Chem Phys. 2007 Dec 28;9(48):6435-41. doi: 10.1039/b711470m. Epub 2007 Oct 29.

Abstract

The present paper investigates the selective incorporation of preformed nanoparticles (hydrophobic Au-NP (2 nm); hydrophilic Au-NP (12 nm); hydrophobic CdSe-NP (1.9 nm); retrovirus-particles (approximately 30 nm)) into the interface of lipid vesicles and polymersomes via TEM and DLS investigations. Lipid membranes were made from N,N-dimethyl-N,N-dioctadecylammonium bromide (DODAB), di-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DOPC), whereas polymersome-membranes were fabricated from the diblock copolymer poly-(butadiene-block-ethylenoxide). Stabilization of the final structures was achieved via sol/gel processes at the outside of the membranes, thus stabilizing the structure by a silicate shell. Whereas hydrophobic Au-NPs can be successfully embedded into the polymersome- and lipid-vesicle membranes, hydrophilic nanoparticles were found evenly distributed in the inner- and outer compartments of the vesicles and polymersomes. Significant effects such as size reduction, selective enrichment of all nanoparticles within only few polymersomes as well as budding effects of larger entities (i.e., viral particles) are described.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Butadienes / chemistry*
  • Cadmium Compounds / chemistry*
  • Gels / chemistry
  • Gold / chemistry*
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Lipid Bilayers / chemistry
  • Membranes, Artificial*
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Particle Size
  • Phosphatidylcholines / chemistry*
  • Polyethylene Glycols / chemistry*
  • Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / chemistry*
  • Retroviridae / chemistry
  • Selenium Compounds / chemistry*
  • Surface Properties
  • Water / chemistry
  • Wettability

Substances

  • Butadienes
  • Cadmium Compounds
  • Gels
  • Lipid Bilayers
  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Phosphatidylcholines
  • Quaternary Ammonium Compounds
  • Selenium Compounds
  • poly-(butadiene-b-ethylenoxide)
  • Water
  • dimethyldioctadecylammonium
  • Polyethylene Glycols
  • Gold
  • cadmium selenide
  • 1,2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine