The fate of a polymer nanoparticle subject to flow-induced shear stresses

Department of Physics, Case Western Reserve University - Cleveland, OH 44106, USA

Corresponding author: gavin.buxton@case.edu

Received: 30 July 2008
Accepted: 15 September 2008

Abstract

Polymer nanoparticles are used for the targeted delivery of drugs, where their mechanical response to hydrodynamic flows can influence their performance. In this study, computer simulations elucidate the deformation of a polymer nanoparticle in a fluid under shear. It is found that hydrodynamic stresses can significantly deform polymer nanoparticles, with the particle becoming both stretched and squeezed (potentially expressing, or wringing out, an encapsulated fluid), and that the porous nature of polymer networks can allow fluid flow through the nanoparticle (potentially facilitating the release of an encapsulated drug). The use of computer simulations, therefore, which can capture the interactions between the mechanics of a polymer nanoparticle and the fluid dynamics of blood flow will play a significant role in developing and optimising polymer nanoparticle drug delivery systems.