Preparation and Characterization of Polymeric Nanoparticles: An Interdisciplinary Experiment

Abstract

In this work, a laboratory experiment to introduce graduate students to nanotechnology is described. Students prepared poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles using two different synthesis procedures, a single and a double emulsion–solvent evaporation method. The students also performed a physicochemical characterization of the prepared nanoparticles (NPs) by determining the hydrodynamic size and zeta potential values through Dynamic and Electrophoretic Light Scattering, respectively. The experiments were designed to be accomplished in two 180 min sessions and have been successfully conducted by 24 graduate students.