title: Polymer directed self-assembly of pH-responsive antioxidant nanoparticles.
abstract: We have developed pH-responsive, multifunctional nanoparticles based on encapsulation of an antioxidant, tannic acid (TA), using flash nanoprecipitation, a polymer directed self-assembly method. Formation of insoluble coordination complexes of tannic acid and iron during mixing drives nanoparticle assembly. Tuning the core material to polymer ratio, the size of the nanoparticles can be readily tuned between 50 and 265 nm. The resulting nanoparticle is pH-responsive, i.e., stable at pH 7.4 and soluble under acidic conditions due to the nature of the coordination complex. Further, the coordination complex can be coprecipitated with other hydrophobic materials such as therapeutics or imaging agents. For example, coprecipitation with a hydrophobic fluorescent dye creates fluorescent nanoparticles. In vitro, the nanoparticles have low cytotoxicity and show antioxidant activity. Therefore, these particles may facilitate intracellular delivery of antioxidants.
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: ‡Biomedical Engineering Department Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, Illinois 60208 United States.
authors.forename: Devang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.affiliation: ‡Biomedical Engineering Department Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, Illinois 60208 United States.|§Departments of Bioengineering and Materials Science and Engineering University of California, Berkeley, 210 Hearst Mining Building, Berkeley, California 94720 United States.
authors.forename: Phillip B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Messersmith
authors.affiliation: ∥Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States.
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Anthony
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States.
authors.forename: Robert K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Prud'homme
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001692:Biological Transport; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D012995:Solubility; D013634:Tannins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004337:Drug Carriers; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D011137:Polystyrenes; D013634:Tannins; D014867:Water; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D007501:Iron