Calcium phosphate nanoparticles as templates for nanocapsules prepared by the layer-by-layer technique

Uniform nanocapsules with typical diameters of 150–240 nm were prepared with calcium phosphate nanoparticles as a fully biocompatible core material by alternate coating with cationic (PAH) and anionic (PSS) polymers (layer-by-layer technique: LbL), followed by dissolution of the calcium phosphate core with hydrochloric acid by dialysis in the presence of ion exchangers. The nanocapsules were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM).