Can the argon plasma “Grafting-From” approach be used for the modification of nanoparticle systems?

Abstract Many groups have utilized argon plasma and the “Grafting-From” approach as a means for the modification of surfaces at the macro-scale. However, very few have utilized this technique for the modification of surfaces at the nano-scale, due to the idea that plasmas destroy the chemical integrity of materials at the nano-scale. In this study, argon plasma grafting technology was used as an initiator for the surface modification of carbon and titanium oxide nanoparticles. When constructed using optimized experimental conditions, grafted nanoparticles containing polyacrylic acid possessed significantly different chemical and physical properties in comparison to plasma treated and polyacrylic acid coated nanoparticles. It is reported that the grafted nanoparticles, when compared to coated nanoparticles, were extremely stable, resulting in negligible amounts of polymer degradation after exposure to a wide range of experimental conditions including solutions of different pH ranging from 3 to 11, simulated body fluid, 2% fetal bovine serum, and phosphate buffered saline solutions with temperatures ranging from 20 to 100 °C. The results discussed in this work provide evidence for the potential application of the plasma-assisted modification technique as a possible means to solve many of the concerns regarding drug and gene delivery systems.