Surfactant-dispersed nanodiamond: biocompatibility evaluation and drug delivery applications

Effective dispersion of nanodiamond (ND) in aqueous media especially in the physiological solution is of significant importance for its biomedical applications. Herein, the effect of surfactants on the water dispersibility of ND were investigated. On the basis of the dispersion results, biocompatibility as well as utilization of zwitterionic surfactant (lecithin) dispersed ND for intracellular delivery of doxorubicin hydrochloride were explored. We demonstrated that ND nanoparticles displayed enhanced dispersibility in both water and physiological solution in the present of lecithin. Given its facile, effective and low-cost features, the method for dispersion of ND nanoparticles described in this work will contribute significantly to the practical applications of ND.