Abstract
This chapter describes a method for the measurement of the electrostatic potential at the electrical double layer surrounding a nanoparticle in solution. This is referred to as the zeta potential. Nanoparticles with a zeta potential between −10 and +10 mV are considered approximately neutral, while nanoparticles with zeta potentials of greater than +30 mV or less than −30 mV are considered strongly cationic and strongly anionic, respectively. Since most cellular membranes are negatively charged, zeta potential can affect a nanoparticle’s tendency to permeate membranes, with cationic particles generally displaying more toxicity associated with cell wall disruption. This technique is demonstrated for two types of nanoparticles commonly used in biological applications: colloidal gold (strongly anionic) and amine-terminated PAMAM dendrimer (strongly cationic).
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Reference
Dukhovich, F.S., Darkhovskii, M.B., Gorbatova, E.N., Kurochkin, V.K. (2003) Molecular Recognition: Pharmacological Aspects. Nova Science Publishers, New York, NY.
Acknowledgment
This project has been funded in whole or in part with federal funds from the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, under contract N01-CO-12400. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
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© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
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Clogston, J.D., Patri, A.K. (2011). Zeta Potential Measurement. In: McNeil, S. (eds) Characterization of Nanoparticles Intended for Drug Delivery. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 697. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-198-1_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-198-1_6
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Publisher Name: Humana Press
Print ISBN: 978-1-60327-197-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-60327-198-1
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