Ligand-lipid and ligand-core affinity control the interaction of gold nanoparticles with artificial lipid bilayers and cell membranes.

Unlabelled: Interactions between nanoparticles (NPs) and biomembranes depend on the physicochemical properties of the NPs, such as size and surface charge. Here we report on the size-dependent interaction of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), stabilized with ligands differing in charge, i.e.

Probing structural dynamics of an artificial protein cage using high-speed atomic force microscopy.

A cysteine-substituted mutant of the ring-shaped protein TRAP (trp-RNA binding attenuation protein) can be induced to self-assemble into large, monodisperse hollow spherical cages in the presence of 1.4 nm diameter gold nanoparticles. In this study we use high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) to probe the dynamics of the structural changes related to TRAP interactions with the gold nanoparticle as well as the disassembly of the cage structure.

Stretchable and semitransparent conductive hybrid hydrogels for flexible supercapacitors.

Conductive polymers showing stretchable and transparent properties have received extensive attention due to their enormous potential in flexible electronic devices. Here, we demonstrate a facile and smart strategy for the preparation of structurally stretchable, electrically conductive, and optically semitransparent polyaniline-containing hybrid hydrogel networks as electrode, which show high-performances in supercapacitor application. Remarkably, the stability can extend up to 35,000 cycles at a high current density of 8 A/g, because of the combined structural advantages in terms of flexible polymer chains, highly interconnected pores, and excellent contact between the host and guest functional polymer phase.

Metal deposition by electroless plating on polydopamine functionalized micro- and nanoparticles.

A novel approach for the fabrication of metal coated micro- and nanoparticles by functionalization with a thin polydopamine layer followed by electroless plating is reported. The particles are initially coated with polydopamine via self-polymerization. The resulting polydopamine coated particles have a surface rich in catechols and amino groups, resulting in a high affinity toward metal ions.

Molecularly stabilised ultrasmall gold nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization and bioactivity.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are widely used as contrast agents in electron microscopy as well as for diagnostic tests. Due to their unique optical and electrical properties and their small size, there is also a growing field of potential applications in medical fields of imaging and therapy, for example as drug carriers or as active compounds in thermotherapy. Besides their intrinsic optical properties, facile surface decoration with (bio)functional ligands renders AuNPs ideally suited for many industrial and medical applications.

Differential hERG ion channel activity of ultrasmall gold nanoparticles.

Understanding the mechanism of toxicity of nanomaterials remains a challenge with respect to both mechanisms involved and product regulation. Here we show toxicity of ultrasmall gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Depending on the ligand chemistry, 1.

High-sensitivity real-time analysis of nanoparticle toxicity in green fluorescent protein-expressing zebrafish.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNP) show great potential for diagnostic and therapeutic application in humans. A great number of studies have tested the cytotoxicity of AuNP using cell culture. There is, however, an urgent need to test AuNP in vertebrate animal models that interrogate biodistribution and complex biological traits like organ development, whole body metabolism, and cognitive function.

Size-dependent multispectral photoacoustic response of solid and hollow gold nanoparticles.

Photoacoustic (PA) imaging attracts a great deal of attention as an innovative modality for longitudinal, non-invasive, functional and molecular imaging in oncology. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are identified as superior, NIR-absorbing PA contrast agents for biomedical applications. Until now, no systematic comparison of the optical extinction and PA efficiency of water-soluble AuNPs of various geometries and small sizes has been performed.

Gold nanoparticles of diameter 1.4 nm trigger necrosis by oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are generally considered nontoxic, similar to bulk gold, which is inert and biocompatible. AuNPs of diameter 1.4 nm capped with triphenylphosphine monosulfonate (TPPMS), Au1.

Multidentate thioether ligands coating gold nanoparticles.

The design and synthesis of oligomeric ligands based on benzylic thioethers is presented together with their ability to enwrap and stabilize gold nanoparticles with diameters below 2 nm, which become--with increasing length of the oligomer--more monodisperse and stable.

Size-dependent cytotoxicity of gold nanoparticles.

Gold nanoparticles are widely used in biomedical imaging and diagnostic tests. Based on their established use in the laboratory and the chemical stability of Au(0), gold nanoparticles were expected to be safe. The recent literature, however, contains conflicting data regarding the cytotoxicity of gold nanoparticles.