Abstract
Relevant properties of gold nanoparticles, such as stability and biocompatibility, together with their peculiar optical and electronic behavior, make them excellent candidates for medical and biological applications. This review describes the different approaches to the synthesis, surface modification, and characterization of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) related to increasing their stability and available features useful for employment as drug delivery systems or in hyperthermia and photothermal therapy. The synthetic methods reported span from the well-known Turkevich synthesis, reduction with NaBH4 with or without citrate, seeding growth, ascorbic acid-based, green synthesis, and Brust–Schiffrin methods. Furthermore, the nanosized functionalization of the AuNP surface brought about the formation of self-assembled monolayers through the employment of polymer coatings as capping agents covalently bonded to the nanoparticles. The most common chemical–physical characterization techniques to determine the size, shape and surface coverage of AuNPs are described underlining the structure–activity correlation in the frame of their applications in the biomedical and biotechnology sectors.
Highlights
Nowadays, nanotechnology and nanochemistry are very often combined in order to develop nanostructured materials and, determine to what extent the manipulation of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular level may affect the desired nanomaterials properties [1]
The applications of AuNPs are strictly related to their shape and size; for example, gold nanorods are employed as biosensors, antineoplastic drugs [12], and as carriers in drug delivery systems [13]
The results showed that the hydrophilic peptide methionine–encephalin and leucine–encephalin extractions were dependent on the AuNP surface charge and the target peptides’ isoelectric points
Summary
Nanotechnology and nanochemistry are very often combined in order to develop nanostructured materials and, determine to what extent the manipulation of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular level may affect the desired nanomaterials properties [1]. Laser ablation is a faster method that allows the synthesis of nanoparticles with controlled sizes and shapes, resulting in high yields and improved long-term stability [40] In this process, a pure metal surface is irradiated with a laser beam, causing a low-flux plasma plume, which is sublimated to produce nanoparticles [41]. Electrochemical methods for metallic nanoparticle synthesis are usually employed in the biomedical field as biosensors [47] This technique consists of dissolving a sheet of pure metal in the anode solution to obtain the deposition of the cation on the cathode of an electrochemical cell in the presence of an electrolyte [10]. This overheating is due to the fact that microwaves cause an increase in dipole–dipole interactions and, a better ionic and molecular mobility [51]
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