Nanosystems soft systems

It is useful, for reasons which are apparent in relation to movement of nanoparticles in vivo, to divide nanosystems into two types, hard and soft, although there are obviously intermediate situations. Hard systems, for example, polymeric nanoparticles and nanocapsules, nanosuspensions or nanocrystals, dendrimers, and carbon nanotubes are neither flexible nor elastic. Hard systems can block capillaries and fenestrae that have dimensions similar to the particles, whereas soft systems can deform and reform to varying degrees. Erythrocytes and many liposomes fall into this category and are thus better able to navigate capillary beds and tissue extracellular spaces. Soft systems include nanoemulsions (microemulsions) and polymeric micelles. 

Surface forces determine the structure and dynamics of soft systems with small characteristic length scales. This certainly includes nanosystems with < 100 nm. 

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