Synthesis and stability of phospholipid-encapsulated nano-selenium

Abstract Red elemental nano-selenium, which is an important biological form of selenium, exhibits very low toxicity and remarkable biological properties and thus has several positive effects. For instance, it shows antioxidation and antistress characteristics, promotes growth and improves immunity. However, owing to its nanoscale size, it is very difficult to disperse and stabilize during synthesis and storage. In this study, nanoscale selenium with a mass content of 2.06% and an average particle size of 49 nm was prepared by the chemical reduction method. The analysis demonstrated that the surface phospholipids formed lamellar structures after directional freezing, and the nano-selenium particles were distributed in the middle of the lamellar. The nano-selenium particles were efficiently dispersed due to their lamellar structure and amphiphilicity. The particles displayed excellent stability and remained relatively unchanged after 20 days of storage in solution or solid state. The difficulties associated with the dispersion and storage stability of nanometer selenium during preparation were solved.