One-pot facile preparation of PEG-modified PLGA nanoparticles: Effects of PEG and PLGA on release properties of the particles

• A block copolymer-assisted emulsification was applied to nanoparticles preparations.
• The nanoparticles with a diameter of 200 nm were obtained under optimized conditions.
• The block copolymers greatly affected the release properties of nanoparticles.

We show here a one-pot facile preparation of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-modified poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles by means of a novel “block copolymer-assisted” emulsification/evaporation method. In the present article, we clarified the effects of preparation conditions and the structural properties of both polymeric modifiers and particle-forming hydrophobic polymers on the properties of the PEG-modified PLGA nanoparticles. We first clarified that the concentration of PLGA, the volume ratio of an organic solvent to a PVA solution, and a stirring rate were major factors affecting the diameter of the nanoparticles. We successfully prepared the nanoparticles, with a diameter of approximately 200 nm under the optimized conditions. The additive amount and the composition of PEG–PLA block copolymers affected the surface charge of the nanoparticles. Finally, we clarified that the compositions and molecular weights of the block copolymers greatly affected the release properties of PEG-modified nanoparticles.

We investigated the effects of preparation conditions and structural properties of both PEG–PLA block copolymers and PLGA on the properties of PEG-modified PLGA nanoparticles via a block copolymer-assisted emulsification/evaporation method.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide