Polymer-Grafted Nanoparticle and its Application in Drug Delivery

This study explores a novel mechanism for controlling the surface properties of polymer-coated colloids using targeted ("sticky") nanoparticles that attract monomers of certain polymer species. In our study, colloids are coated by two tethered polymer chains with different chemical properties. The attraction of nanoparticles to the monomers of one polymer type causes these polymer chains to contract toward the grafting surface, rendering the other type more exposed to the environment. Thus, the effective surface properties of the colloid are dominated by the intended polymer type. We use coarse-grained molecular dynamics (CGMD) simulation to demonstrate that introducing nanoparticles which interact preferentially with certain types of polymers makes it possible to switch between different surface properties of the colloid. This mechanism can in principle be exploited in drug delivery systems and self-assembly applications.