title: Understanding the role of surface charges in cellular adsorption versus internalization by selectively removing gold nanoparticles on the cell surface with a I2/KI etchant.
abstract: This Letter presents a new method for differentiating the Au nanospheres attached to the cell surface from those being internalized into the cells. We introduced an etching solution based on I2 and KI that can selectively dissolve the Au nanospheres on the cell surface within a short period of time. The advantage of this etchant is its low toxicity to the cells because it is capable of etching away a relatively large amount of Au nanospheres at a low molar concentration. By combining with quantitative elemental analysis, we found that the deposition of Au nanospheres on the surface of cancer cells was highly dependent on the sign of surface charges on the Au nanospheres. In addition, by fitting the uptake data with a kinetic model, we were able to derive the overall and internalization rate constants for Au nanospheres and both of them were found to be governed by the surface charges on Au nanospheres.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA.
authors.forename: Eun Chul
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Jingwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Wurm
authors.forename: Younan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xia
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007455:Iodine / Q000737:chemistry; D007700:Kinetics; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008956:Models, Chemical; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D011193:Potassium Iodide / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D011193:Potassium Iodide; D006046:Gold; D007455:Iodine