A multidentate peptide for stabilization and facile bioconjugation of gold nanoparticles.

Gold nanoparticles of two different sizes stabilized by a 15-mer peptide ligand specifically designed for this purpose have been prepared in aqueous solution and characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy and TEM. The presence of the ligand and its binding mode to the particles via its four cystein thiols is evidenced by FTIR and NMR spectroscopy. Biotinylation of the particles via binding to a freely accessible lysine residue is demonstrated.