Synthesis, Characterization, and Long-Term Stability of Hollow Polymer Nanocapsules with Nanometer-Thin Walls

Dergunov, S. A., K. Kesterson, et al. (2010).

Macromolecules (Washington, DC, U. S.) 43(18): 7785-7792.

Hollow polymer nanocapsules are produced by the polymn. within hydrophobic interior of lipid bilayers that act as temporary self-assembled scaffolds. Pore-forming templates are co-dissolved with monomers in the bilayers to create pores with controlled size and chem. environment. Polymn. was monitored with UV spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering. High-resoln. magic angle spinning NMR characterization provided detailed structural information about nanocapsules. Spherical shape was confirmed by electron microscopy. Medium-sized mols. can be entrapped within porous nanocapsules. No release of encapsulated mols. was obsd. within 240 days.