Tailoring Pseudo-Zwitterionic Bi-Functionalized Silica Nanoparticles: From Colloidal Stability to Biological Interactions.

Zwitterionic molecules are known to resist nonspecific protein adsorption and have been proposed as an alternative to the widely used polyethylene glycol. Recently, zwitterionic-like nanoparticles were created from the coimmobilization of positive and negative ligands, resulting in surfaces that also prevent protein corona formation while keeping available sites for bioconjugation. However, it is unclear if they are able to keep their original properties when immersed in biological environments while retaining a toxicity-free profile, indispensable features before considering these structures for clinics. Herein, we obtained optimized zwitterionic-like silica nanoparticles from the functionalization with varying ratios of THPMP and DETAPTMS organosilanes and investigated their behavior in realistic biological milieu. The generated zwitterionic-like particle was able to resist single-protein adsorption, while the interaction with a myriad of serum proteins led to significant loss of colloidal stability. Moreover, the zwitterionic particles presented poor hemocompatibility, causing considerable disruption of red blood cells. Our findings suggest that the exposure of ionic groups allows these structures to directly engage with the environment and that electrostatic neutrality is not enough to grant low-fouling and stealth properties.