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) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1798-1803 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Macromolecular Rapid Communications |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue number | 20 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 26 2012 |
| Externally published | Yes |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Materials Chemistry
- Polymers and Plastics
- Organic Chemistry
Keywords
- dialysis
- nanoparticles
- nanoprecipitation
- polymer
- polystyrene