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Assessing nanoparticle colloidal stability with single-particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS)

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Abstract

Biological interactions, toxicity, and environmental fate of engineered nanoparticles are affected by colloidal stability and aggregation. To assess nanoparticle aggregation, analytical methods are needed that allow quantification of individual nanoparticle aggregates. However, most techniques used for nanoparticle aggregation analysis are limited to ensemble measurements or require harsh sample preparation that may introduce artifacts. An ideal method would analyze aggregate size in situ with single-nanoparticle resolution. Here, we established and validated single-particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) as an unbiased high-throughput analytical technique to quantify nanoparticle size distributions and aggregation in situ. We induced nanoparticle aggregation by exposure to physiologically relevant saline conditions and applied SP-ICP-MS to quantify aggregate size and aggregation kinetics at the individual aggregate level. In situ SP-ICP-MS analysis revealed rational surface engineering principles for the preparation of colloidally stable nanoparticles. Our quantitative SP-ICP-MS technique is a platform technology to evaluate aggregation characteristics of various types of surface-engineered nanoparticles under physiologically relevant conditions. Potential widespread applications of this method may include the study of nanoparticle aggregation in environmental samples and the preparation of colloidally stable nanoparticle formulations for bioanalytical assays and nanomedicine.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge assistance and fruitful discussions by Drs. S. Foster, R. Merrifield, C. Stephan, A. Madden P. Larson, R. Forester, H. Kirit, and PerkinElmer.

Funding

This work was supported in part by an NSF MRI grant (Award # 1828234), the IBEST/OUHSC Seed Grant for Interdisciplinary Research, and the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust awarded to the University of Oklahoma - Stephenson Cancer Center.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA

    Nathan D. Donahue, Emmy R. Francek, Emi Kiyotake, Emily E. Thomas, Wen Yang, Lin Wang, Michael S. Detamore & Stefan Wilhelm

  2. Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Technology (IBEST), Norman, OK, 73019, USA

    Michael S. Detamore & Stefan Wilhelm

  3. Stephenson Cancer Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA

    Stefan Wilhelm

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  1. Nathan D. Donahue
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Correspondence to Stefan Wilhelm.

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Donahue, N.D., Francek, E.R., Kiyotake, E. et al. Assessing nanoparticle colloidal stability with single-particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS). Anal Bioanal Chem 412, 5205–5216 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-020-02783-6

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