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  • 1.  Question regarding suitable ligand conjugation strategy

    Posted 07-07-2025 14:40

    Hello Nanotechnology Community,

    I'm currently working on surface functionalization of nanoparticles and would appreciate your input on selecting the most suitable ligand conjugation chemistry. When decorating the nanoparticle surface, how do you decide between EDC-NHS coupling, maleimide-thiol chemistry, or other conjugation strategies?

    I'm particularly interested in hearing about your experience with factors like ligand stability, reaction efficiency, selectivity, and impact on nanoparticle performance in biological environments.

    Any insights or recommendations based on your applications would be greatly appreciated!



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    Apurva Dusane
    Student
    The University of Iowa
    Iowa City IA
    [email protected]

    Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.
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  • 2.  RE: Question regarding suitable ligand conjugation strategy

    Posted 07-31-2025 16:01

    Hi Apurva,

    EDC-NHS coupling between carboxylic groups and primary amines is a very widely used technique. It is facile and can be performed on nanoparticles exposing surface COOH or NH2 groups. In my experience, it is easy to procure COOH or NH2 functionalized excipients/targeting ligands including PLGA, PEG, RGD, Transferrin etc. However, the conjugation is generally a two-step process. Maleimide-thiol chemistry is more specific and selective. I have not particularly compared reaction efficiencies, but EDC-NHS coupling does provide good yields, however, reaction time is slower. Thiols are prone to oxidation and the in vivo bond stability could be an issue, but I do not have first-hand experience dealing with it. In our work, EDC/NHS chemistry has generally been the first option.

    Thanks for this question. I will be interested in knowing more from experts.

    Best,

    Sravan



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    Sravan Kumar Patel Ph.D.
    Associate Professor
    University of Pittsburgh
    Mars PA
    [email protected]

    Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.
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    Original Message