title: Macromolecular Brushes as Stabilizers of Hydrophobic Solute Nanoparticles.
abstract: Macromolecular brushes bearing poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(d,l-lactide) side chains were used to stabilize hydrophobic solute nanoparticles formed by a rapid change in solvent quality. Unlike linear diblock copolymers with the same hydrophilic and hydrophobic block chemistries, the brush copolymer enabled the formation of ellipsoidal β-carotene nanoparticles, which in cosolvent mixtures developed into rod-like structures, resulting from a combination of Ostwald ripening and particle aggregation. The stabilizing ability of the copolymer was highly dependent on the mobility of the hydrophobic component, influenced by its molecular weight. As shown here, asymmetric amphiphilic macromolecular brushes of this type may be used as hydrophobic drug stabilizers and potentially assist the shape control of nonspherical aggregate morphologies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States.
authors.forename: Hanying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raciti
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States.
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Herrera-Alonso
mesh_terms: D002850:Chromatography, Gel / Q000379:methods; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012996:Solutions / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; D012996:Solutions; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C033616:poly(lactide)
keywords: Ostwald ripening; aggregation; bottle-brush; carotene; ellipsoid; macromolecular brush; nanoparticles; nanoprecipitation; stabilization