title: Fluorescent polyurethane nanocapsules prepared via inverse miniemulsion: surface functionalization for use as biocarriers.
abstract: The functionalization of well-defined PU nanocapsules with an aqueous core prepared by performing a polyaddition at the interface of inverse (water-in-oil) miniemulsion droplets is demonstrated. The miniemulsion technique involving the nanoreactor concept allows one to obtain an encapsulation efficiency as high as 90% within the nanocapsules. A pH independent fluorescent dye is used as a model system for the aqueous core. By varying the molar ratio of the diol to the diisocyanate at a fixed surfactant concentration, the shell thickness of the nanocapsules can be finely tuned. The carboxy- and amino-functionalized surface of the nanocapsules can be tailored by an in-situ carboxymethylation reaction and by physical adsorption of a cationic polyelectrolyte, i.e. PAEMA or PEI. The increased uptake of amino-functionalized fluorescent nanocapsules by HeLa cells clearly demonstrates the potential of the functionalized nanocapsules to be successfully exploited as biocarriers.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Organic Chemistry III-Macromolecular Chemistry and Organic Materials, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany. paiphansiri@mpip-mainz.mpg.de
authors.forename: Umaporn
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Paiphansiri
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dausend
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Musyanovych
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mailänder
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Landfester
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004655:Emulsions / Q000737:chemistry*; D005453:Fluorescence; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D053769:Nanocapsules / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011140:Polyurethanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D004655:Emulsions; D053769:Nanocapsules; D011140:Polyurethanes