Characterization of amphiphilic β-cyclodextrin nanospheres

Abstract A new nanosphere carrier system was obtained from amphiphilic β-cyclodextrins bearing fatty acids (with a chain length of either 6 or 12 or 14 carbon atoms) grafted at the O2 and O3 position of the β-cyclodextrin molecule. Nanospheres, with a mean diameter of several hundred nm, were prepared by progressive dispersion. The nanospheres were characterized by their density, surface charge, size and morphology, using several techniques, namely centrifugation, zeta potential determination, quasi-elastic light scattering and freeze-fracture electron microscopy.