Table 1.
Examples of various nanoparticle surface modifications.
| Category | Surface | Core | Key Observation | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polymer | PEG * | Au *, liposome | Long blood-circulation time, different celluar uptake pathway | [19,23,43] |
| Polymer | MUS *, OT * | Au | Direct penetration without membrane disruption | [44] |
| Polymer | AP *, GP *, GEGP *, FAP * | MS * | Surface charge related cellular uptake efficiency | [45] |
| Polymer | ZDS * | SPIO | High stability, reduced nonspecific affinity | [40] |
| Copolymer | CP-PEI * | SPIO * | High efficiency in DNA delivery | [41] |
| DNA | Oligonucleotide | Au | High efficiency in cellular uptake mediated by absorbed protein | [46] |
| Protein | Transferrin | Au | Clathrin-mediated endocytosis pathway and non-toxicity | [47,48,49] |
| Lipid | Various lipids | SPIO | High stability and drug capacity, good cellular uptake | [42] |
| Lipid | DPPC * | PLGA * | Cellular uptake depends on the core–shell structure | [50,51] |
* Abbreviation: PEG, poly-(ethylene glycol); Au, gold; MUS, 11-mercaptoundecane sulfonate; OT, octanethino; AP, 3-aminopropyl; GP, guanidinopropyl; MS, mesoporous silica; GEGP, 3-[N-(2- guanidinoethyl)guanidino]propyl; FAP, h-folate-3-aminopropyl; CP-PEI, chitosan-polyethylenimine; SPIO, superparamagnetic iron oxide; ZDS, zwitterionic dopamine sulfonate; PLGA, poly(lactic-co-glycolide); DPPC, 1,2-dipalmitoyl- sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine.