A self-reporting tetrazole-based linker for the biofunctionalization of gold nanorods.

A photochemical approach based on nitrile imine-mediated tetrazole-ene cycloaddition is introduced to functionalize gold nanorods with biomolecules. For this purpose, a bifunctional, photoreactive linker containing thioctic acid as the Au anchoring group and a tetrazole moiety for the light-induced reaction with maleimide-capped DNA was prepared. The tetrazole-based reaction on the nanoparticles' surface results in a fluorescent pyrazoline product allowing for the spectroscopic monitoring of the reaction.

Photo-induced surface encoding of gold nanoparticles.

Photoreactive gold nanoparticles (NP) can be encoded in a spatially resolved fashion using direct laser writing techniques into variable patterns. The surface of the gold nanoparticles is imparted with photoreactivity by tethering photo-caged dienes ('photoenols'), which are able to undergo a rapid Diels-Alder cycloaddition with surface anchored enes. Subsequent to surface encoding, the particles feature residual caged dienes, which can be reactivated for secondary surface encoding.

Light-induced modification of silver nanoparticles with functional polymers.

A mild, efficient and ambient temperature photochemical approach for the synthesis of silver nanoparticle core-shell structures employing a zwitterionic polymer as well as polyethylene glycol is presented.

Light induced DNA-protein conjugation.

DNA was modified with a photo-reactive caged diene allowing for the modification of dienophile containing proteins under mild irradiation conditions to afford fully functional DNA-protein conjugates.