polymershell
Polymershell refers to a polymeric outer layer that surrounds a core material, forming a core–shell structure. The shell is composed of polymers that can be covalently attached or physically associated with the core. The shell provides steric stabilization, controls solubility and permeability, and offers reactive sites for ligands or drugs. The thickness and composition of the shell determine the overall behavior, including biocompatibility and release properties. Shells can be homogeneous or crosslinked, and may be formed by grafting-from polymerization on the core surface, layer-by-layer deposition, self-assembly of block copolymers, or adsorption of preformed polymers.
Common materials include polyethylene glycol, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), poly(acrylic acid), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), and natural polymers such as chitosan.
Characterization relies on TEM or cryo-TEM to measure core–shell geometry, dynamic light scattering and zeta potential