Heterocoagulation as a facile route to prepare stable serum albumin-nanoparticle conjugates for biomedical applications: synthetic protocols and mechanistic insights.
There is increasing interest in using serum albumin, the most abundant plasma protein, as a stabilizing agent in the context of nanomedicine. Using poly(vinyl amine)-stabilized polypyrrole nanoparticles as an example, we report a facile generic route to prepare serum albumin-nanoparticle conjugates via heterocoagulation. Time-resolved dynamic light scattering (DLS), disk centrifuge photosedimentometry (DCP), and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy studies confirm that bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorbs rapidly onto the cationic poly(vinyl amine)-stabilized polypyrrole nanoparticles and suggest that the initial well-defined protein coronal is subsequently cross-linked via thiol-disulfide exchange. These BSA-nanoparticle conjugates were further characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), aqueous electrophoresis, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). They exhibit excellent long-term colloidal stability under physiological conditions without further purification, suggesting strong irreversible adsorption by the BSA. Protein adsorption appears to be co-operative and both thermodynamic and mechanistic aspects were examined via aqueous electrophoresis, DCP, and DLS studies.
Department of Chemistry, The University of Sheffield, Brook Hill, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S3 7HF, UK.
Kin Man
KM
Au
Steven P
SP
Armes
D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000502:physiology*; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D004355:Drug Stability; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000737:chemistry; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010316:Particle Size; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000737:chemistry*; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D011108:Polymers; D011758:Pyrroles; D012709:Serum Albumin; C067635:polypyrrole