Abstract
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to characterize poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) stabilized poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles. Highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) or Mica was used as substrates for AFM study. The nanoparticulates were imaged in ambient conditions and were observed to be robust during the imaging period. The result shows that AFM can be used as a tool for characterization and optimization of polymeric nanoparticle formulation at the various product development phases to ensure good quality control.