Summary: We report novel organic‐inorganic hybrid nanomaterials that consist of polymer hydrogel nanoparticles (nanogels) and calcium phosphate. Hybrid nanoparticles that measure ca. 40 nm are synthesized from a dilute solution of hydroxyapatite using nanogels as templates for calcium phosphate mineralization. These nanoparticles show a narrow size distribution and high colloidal stability. Nanogel‐adsorbed liposomes act as templates for hierarchical hybrid nanostructures. These nanohybrids can potentially be used as biocompatible drug carriers with controlled‐release properties.
Self-assembled nanogels of cholesterol-bearing mannan (CHM) containing phosphodiester bonds in its structure were used as templates for calcium phosphate mineralization to prepare novel organic—inorganic hybrid nanocarriers for drug-delivery systems. These hybrid materials were synthesized from a solution of calcium phosphate in the presence of CHM nanogels. The size and crystallinity of the nanomaterials were controlled by changing the calcium ion concentration. Spherical amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) nanoparticles of ~20 nm in size and needle-shaped hydroxyapatite (HAp) crystals ~80 nm in length were formed from solutions of [Ca2+] = 0.8 and 2.0 mM, respectively. These hybrid nanomaterials showed excellent colloidal stability in solution, which was supported by the polymer chains of CHM on the outer surface of the hybrid nanomaterials. It was also found that an amorphous-to-crystalline transformation occurred during the formation of CHM nanogel-HAp hybrid nanomaterials.
Cover: Novel organic-calcium phosphate hybrid nanoparticles, which show a narrow size distribution and high colloidal stability in solution, were synthesized using polymer hydrogel nanoparticles (nanogels) and nanogel-liposomes as templates for the mineralization of calcium phosphate. Further details can be found in the Communication by Ayae Sugawara, Setsuko Yamane and Kazunari Akiyoshi* on page 441.
Self-assembled polysaccharide nanogels with negative or positive charges were used as templates for mineralization of calcium phosphate for potential biomedical application. The formation of stable and negatively- or positively-charged amorphous calcium phosphate nanoparticles was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and ζ-potential measurements.
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