Acrylic acid copolymer nanoparticles for drug delivery. Part II: Characterization of nanoparticles surface-modified by adsorption of ethoxylated surfactants

Copolymer nanoparticles of acrylic acid, acrylic amide, acrylic butylester, and methacrylic methylester with increasing content of acrylic acid were produced and surface-modified by adsorption of nonionic (Poloxamer 407, Poloxamine 908, Antarox CO 990) and ionic (Gafac RE 960) surfactants. The coated particles were characterized with regard to parameters relevant for the in vivo organ distribution: coating layer thickness, charge-reducing effect of the coating layer and surface hydrophobicity. Gafac was found to form highly charged surface layers leading to recognition by the reticuloendothelial system (RES). The hydrophobicity of the coating layers decreased with increasing thickness. The thickest coating layers were found on the most hydrophobic particles possessing least content of acrylic acid (1.9%). These particles coated with the nonionics were regarded as sufficiently hydrophilic to potentially reduce the uptake by the RES in vivo. The properties of coating layers can therefore be optimized by variation of the monomer ratios in copolymers.