Multidentate Oligomeric Ligands to Enhance the Biocompatibility of Iron Oxide and Other Metal Nanoparticles

摘要

We prepared a set of multi-coordinating and reactive amphiphilic polymer ligands and used them for surface-functionalizing magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. The amphiphilic oligomers were prepared by coupling (via one step nucleophilic addition) several dopamine anchoring groups, polyethylene glycol moieties and reactive groups onto a poly(isobutylene-alt-mnaleic anhydride) chain. The availability of several anchoring groups in the same ligand greatly enhances the ligand affinity to the nanoparticle surfaces, via multiple-coordination, while the hydrophilic and reactive groups promote colloidal stability in buffer media and allow subsequent conjugation to target biomolecules. The hydrophilic nanoparticles capped with these polymers maintain compact size and exhibit great long term colloidal stability.