Global diffusion limitations during the initial phase of the formation of a protein corona around nanoparticles

Nanoparticles without and with protein corona: van der Waals and hydration interaction

The van der Waals (vdW) interaction between nanoparticles (NPs) in general, and especially between metal NPs, may be appreciable, and may result in nanoparticle aggregation. In biofluids, NPs become rapidly surrounded by a protein corona (PC). Here, the vdW and hydration interaction of NPs with and without PC are compared in detail. The focus is on two widely used types of NPs fabricated of SiO2 and Au and possessing weak and strong vdW interactions, respectively. For SiO2, the presence of PC increases the vdW interaction, but it remains relatively weak and insufficient for aggregation. For Au, the presence of PC decreases the vdW interaction, and in the case of small NPs (≤ 40 nm in diameter) it may become insufficient for aggregation as well while the larger NPs can aggregate.