A hard-sphere model of protein corona formation on spherical and cylindrical nanoparticles

TL;DR

This paper models protein corona formation on spherical and cylindrical nanoparticles using a hard-sphere approach, revealing how NP shape and size influence corona composition independently of binding rates.

Contribution

It introduces a rate-equation model for protein adsorption on NPs that accounts for geometry effects, highlighting shape and size impacts on corona formation.

Findings

NP geometry significantly alters corona composition

Corona content depends on protein mobility and concentration in strong binding conditions

Shape and size influence corona independently of adsorption/desorption rates

Abstract

A nanoparticle (NP) immersed in biological media rapidly forms a corona of adsorbed proteins, which later controls the eventual fate of the particle and the route through which adverse outcomes may occur. The composition and timescale for the formation of this corona are both highly dependent on both the NP and its environment. The deposition of proteins on the surface of the NP is related to processes of random sequential adsorption and, based on this model, we develop a rate-equation treatment for the formation of a corona represented by hard spheres on spherical and cylindrical NPs. We find that the geometry of the NP significantly alters the composition of the corona through a process independent of the rate constants assumed for adsorption and desorption of proteins, with the radius and shape of the NP both influencing the corona. Moreover, we demonstrate that in the condition of strong binding such that the adsorption is effectively irreversible the corona content reflects the protein mobility and concentration in solution rather than their binding affinity.