Effect of the Topology of a Molecular Brush on the Stabilization of Silver and Selenium Nanoparticles in Aqueous Nanodispersions: Spectral and Structural-Morphological Characteristics

Amphiphilic molecular brushes or graft copolymers (graft-CPs) with a hydrophobic polyimide main chain and hydrophilic side chains of polymethacrylic acid at a high degree of polymerization m of the side chains and their high grafting density can be used as nanocontainers for the targeted delivery of drugs/agents. In this work, silver nanoparticles (Ag0) or selenium nanoparticles (Se0) in zero-valent form, which have a complex of unique biomedical properties, are used as the loading agent. Using ultraviolet (UV)–visible spectroscopy, atomic-force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, aqueous dispersions of Ag0 and Se0 nanoparticles stabilized by amphiphilic molecular brushes of varying topology are compared. The structural-morphological and spectral parameters of Ag0/graft-CP and Se0/graft-CP nanostructures can be controlled by changing the degree of polymerization m of side chains of the graft copolymer.