Amphiphilic polymeric conjugate based on cholic acid (CA) as the hydrophobic component and methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (MPEG) as the hydrophilic component was synthesized using a 1,1'-carbonyidiimidazole (CDI) mediated conjugation. Fluorescence spectroscopy measurements suggested that CA and MPEG (abbreviated as CE) conjugate was associated in water to form polymeric core-shell type nanoparticles with a critical association concentration (CAC) value of 0.063 g l(-1). From the transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation, CE nanoparticles were almost spherical with a size range of approximately 10-30 nm in the dried state, which was in agreement with the result from particle size measurement using photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS). Clonazepam (CNZ) was physically loaded into the CE nanoparticles with a 16.2 wt.% loading. CNZ release was pseudo zero.-order in kinetic terms for up to 3 days. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.