Abstract
Polyelectrolyte complex micelles (PCMs), core-shell nanoparticles formed by self-assembly of charged polymers in aqueous solution, provide a powerful platform for exploring the physics of polyelectrolyte interactions and also offer a promising solution to the pressing problem of delivering therapeutic oligonucleotides in vivo. Developing predictive structure-property relationships for PCMs has proven difficult, in part due to the presence of strong kinetic traps during nanoparticle self-assembly. This article discusses criteria for choosing polymers for PCM construction and provides protocols based on salt annealing that enable assembly of repeatable, low-polydispersity nanoparticles. We also discuss PCM characterization using light scattering, small-angle X-ray scattering, and electron microscopy.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | e60894 |
| Journal | Journal of Visualized Experiments |
| Volume | 2020 |
| Issue number | 157 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 2020 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2020 Journal of Visualized Experiments.
Keywords
- Chemistry
- Issue 157
- Micelle
- Nanoparticles
- Nucleic acid delivery
- Oligonucleotides
- Phase separation
- Polyelectrolyte complex