Protein coronas form on the surfaces of nanomaterials in biological
fluids. This layer of proteins affects the properties of nanomaterials,
altering their behavior and masking engineered functionality. The
use of nonfouling moieties reduces or prevents corona formation; however,
these ligands typically complicate functionalization. We present here
a surface modification strategy for silica nanoparticles using specific
molar ratios of zwitterionic and amine moieties. Through proper balance
of ligands, we were able to generate particles that featured reactive
“handles”, while retaining nonfouling properties, high
hemocompatibility, and low cytotoxicity.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.