Shielding and stealth effects of zwitterion moieties in double-functionalized silica nanoparticles

Surface functionalization of silica nanoparticles (SiO2NPs) has been considered as a promising strategy to develop target-specific nanostructures. However, finding a chemical functionalization that can be used as an active targeting moiety while preserving the nanoparticles colloidal stability in biological fluids is still challenging. We present here a dual surface modification strategy for SiO2NPs where a zwitterion (ZW) and a biologically...