Strategy of a separation technique for different particles with the same size and zeta potential: Application of non-additive Asakura-Oosawa theory

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel separation technique for nanoparticles with identical size and zeta potential by exploiting differences in hydrophobicity and softness using a non-additive Asakura-Oosawa theory-based approach.

Contribution

It introduces a new method for separating particles with identical size and zeta potential by applying non-additive Asakura-Oosawa theory to nanoparticle systems.

Findings

Successful separation of particles with same size and zeta potential in a model system.

Demonstrated the role of hydrophobicity and softness in particle separation.

Validated the approach using theoretical modeling.

Abstract

In this letter, we use knowledge gained from our recent study to present a technique for separation of nanoparticles such as exosomes, anticancer drugs, and vaccines. The technique involves adding non-adsorptive polymers to a system in which two types of nanoparticles with the same size and zeta potential are dispersed. The different types of nanoparticles can be separated based on differences in their hydrophobicities and softness of the polymer. Using the non-additive Asakura-Oosawa theory and assuming a realistic model system, we were able to separate the two types of the particles with the same size and zeta potential in the model system.