Abstract
Using a facile dialysis nanoprecipitation method, nanoparticles of several hundred nanometers have been successfully generated from a "traditional, " non-biodegradable polymer, that is, polystyrene. The effect of initial polymer concentration inside the dialysis membrane, as well as the polymer/solvent system and the ionic strength (electrolyte concentration) of the dialysis solution, on nanoparticle size is examined. A nucleation-aggregation mechanism has been provided to explain the observed trends. Furthermore, we determine the zeta potential as a function of ionic strength for the generated nanoparticles and show that anionic charging may be present in the system.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1798-1803 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Macromolecular Rapid Communications |
Volume | 33 |
Issue number | 20 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 26 2012 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Materials Chemistry
- Polymers and Plastics
- Organic Chemistry
Keywords
- dialysis
- nanoparticles
- nanoprecipitation
- polymer
- polystyrene