Work

Surface engineering of bismuth nanocrystals to counter dissolution

Year: 2016

Type: article

Abstract: Rapid dissolution of Bi Nanocrystals (NCs) in lysosomal conditions results in poor biocompatibility. We report that an in situ surface coating of Bi nanocrystals with Ganex® V216, a cosmetic dispersant, limits its dissolution under physiological conditions. These Bi Ganex (BiG) NCs are readily encapsulated in FDA approved polymer poly(dl-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) by an oil-in-water emulsion technique and also undergo facile SiO2 coating. BiG NCs in BiG@PLGA and BiG@SiO2 nanoparticles dissolve slowly under physiological conditions and exhibit excellent biocompatibility, as opposed to uncoated Bi NCs. Finally, these Bi nanoconstructs are shown to be strong CT CAs, even at relatively low Bi concentrations.

Source: Nanoscale

DOI: 10.1039/c6nr02171a

Authors: Shatadru Chakravarty, Jason Unold, Dorela D. Shuboni-Mulligan, Barbara Blanco-Fernandez, Erik M. Shapiro

Institution: Michigan State University

Language: English

Topic: Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery

Subfield: Biomaterials

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: LabEx GANEX, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering

Awards: (PQC5) MRI of magnetically labeled immune/stem cells for early tumor detection, MRI Contrast Agents for In vivo Monitoring of Stem Cell Differentiation