文档介绍：Encyclopedia of
Nanoscience and
Nanotechnology
Nanocontainers
Samantha M. Benito, Marc Sauer
Universität Basel, Klingelbergstrasse, Basel, Switzerland
Wolfgang Meier
Universität Basel, Klingelbergstrasse, Basel, Switzerland, and
International University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
CONTENTS size, stability of the particle, and permeability of the shell are
key parameters in order to obtain materials with enhanced
1. Introduction performance.
2. Natural Nanocontainers Nature itself uses similar and very effective nano-
3. Nanocontainers Formed by Self-Assembly containers like micelles, vesicles, and viruses in biological
4. Template-Directed Preparation systems, for example, for transport and delivery of sensitive
of pounds such as hormones or DNA [1]. However, these
highly functionalized assemblies of proteins, nucleic acids,
5. Nanocontainers Prepared and other (macro)molecules perform plicated tasks
by Emulsion/Suspension Polymerization that are still plex to pletely understood.
6. Dendrimer Nanocontainers Although the particles are perfectly designed to fulfill their
Glossary tasks in biological environment after millions of years of evo-
lution, their direct use in many technical applications is often
References not feasible. In many cases this is due to the non-covalent
interactions responsible for their formation and hence their
1. INTRODUCTION limited stability. This leads, for example, to a rapid clearance
of conventional lipid vesicles (liposomes) from the blood
Design and synthesis of materials with micrometer (micro- after their intravasal administration [2]. Many applications
scopic) and nanometer dimensions (mesoscopic) with well- require, however, more stable particles. Therefore, a great
defined structures in the sub-micrometer region have effort has been devoted within the last years to prepare size-
attracted increasing interest recently. The idea in this con- and shape-persistent nanocontainers and up to