POLYMERS-MEDIATED NANOMATERIALS
Nontoxic polymers as raw materials for the production of nanomaterials
WHAT IS THIS ?
The use of environmentally-friendly and nontoxic polymers, such as polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) or polyethyleneglycol (PEG), allows for easy and straightforward production of nanomaterials that are biocompatible and have a low toxicity
These polymers are extremely cheap and are used as coating agents for the production of nanomaterials, allowing the nanostructures to have high stability in solution.
WHY DO WE CARE ?
Nanomaterials produced by the use of polymers have a unique chemical identity due to the presence of functional groups from the polymer itself.
Due to their special physicochemical properties, the nanomaterials are stable in solution and show low cytotoxicity when cultured with regular human cells.
Besides, they can be covalently-bonded to other molecules of interest, such as antibodies or antibiotics, making suitable nanocarriers for the enhancement of biomedical effects and targeted delivery.