I am trying to link thiol functionalized silver nanoparticles in which thiol ligand has free carboxylic group at the end that needs to be linked with drug containing amine (-NH2) group. I am using EDC and Sulfo-NHS for this linking purpose. The question is, how to characterize or optimize the time that the Ag NP-EDC-SulfoNHS intermediate is formed and its time to add the drug? Literature suggest it takes around 30 min to 1 hour to form this complex intermediate, then we need to quench excess EDC with 2-mercaptoethanol, wash it and then add drug to be linked. But really the completion of this reaction should depend on the reactant concentration and reaction conditions. Have anyone characterized this complex intermediate or optimized the time of its formation before adding the drug?
2 h at room temperature for a 10-fold molar excess. I would not add 2-mercaptoethanol to quench EDC, EDC excess will be already hydrolyzed after 2 h. Mercaptoethanol will most likely get adsorbed on the surface replacing your ligand; increasing instability. Another concern that I have is if your system will be stabilized after adding EDC+sulfo-NHS, even if that is so; adding doxorubicin will certainly make your nanoparticle dispersion unstable. Do the experiment and share the outcome.
Hi Omar, thanks for your input. I will definitely keep you updated. Quick question, why do you think doxorubicin will destabilize the dispersion? Is it the charge difference in the dispersion (I am doing this reaction at pH 5 MES buffer) or something else?
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