Polyethylene glycol based oligomers for coating nanoparticles, nanoparticles coated therewith, and related methods
In a composition aspect of the invention, a nanoparticle coating comprises repeating polyacrylic acid monomers covalently bound together in an aliphatic chain having a plurality of carboxylic acid functional groups and modified carboxylic acid functional groups extending therefrom. A first portion of the modified carboxylic acid functional groups are modified by a PEG oligomer having a terminal methoxy functional group and a second portion of the modified carboxylic acid functional groups are modified by a PEG oligomer having at least one terminal catechol group.
1. A composition comprising repeating polyacrylic acid monomer units covalently bound together in an aliphatic chain having a plurality of carboxylic acid functional groups and modified carboxylic acid functional groups extending therefrom, wherein a first portion of the modified carboxylic acid functional groups are modified by a PEG oligomer having a terminal methoxy functional group and a second portion of the modified carboxylic acid functional groups are modified by a PEG oligomer having at least one terminal catechol group.
2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the PEG oligomer having a terminal methoxy functional group comprises a PEG chain having a terminal amine group opposite the terminal methoxy functional group, the terminal amine group being covalently bound to a carbonyl carbon of a modified carboxylic acid functional group.
3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the PEG oligomer having at least one terminal catechol group is dopamine.
4. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising a third portion of modified carboxylic acid functional groups wherein the third portion of the modified carboxylic acid functional groups are modified by a PEG oligomer having functional group.
5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the number of polyacrylic acid monomer units is between about 20 to about 30.