title: Gold nanoparticles generated in ethosome bilayers, as revealed by cryo-electron-tomography.
abstract: Gold nanoparticles have been synthesized inside ethosomes, vesicles composed of phospholipid, ethanol, and water, which could be very efficient not only in delivery probes to the skin but also as diagnostic and therapeutic multimodal agents. High efficiency encapsulation of gold nanoparticles is achieved by a simple strategy: the nanoparticles synthesis occurs simultaneously with the ethosomes formation in the absence of any undesirable reducing agents. A three-dimensional reconstruction of a gold-embedded ethosome generated by cryoelectron tomography reveals that the gold particle is localized inside the lipid bilayer, leaving the ethosome surface and core free for further functionalization. The resulting gold nanoparticles are homogeneous in size and shape and, depending on synthesis temperature, the size ranges from 10 to 20 nm, as revealed by TEM. The ethosome-nanoparticles hybrids' size has been investigated by means of dynamic light scattering and has been found to vary with temperature and gold salt concentration from 700 to 400 nm. Gold nanoparticles-encapsulated ethosomes offer a versatile platform for the enhancement of pharmacological efficacy in transdermal and dermal delivery systems.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Magnetismo Aplicada, UCM-ADIF-CSIC, P.O. Box 155, Las Rozas, Madrid 28230, Spain. pdelapresa@adif.es
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de la Presa
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rueda
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: del Puerto Morales
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Javier Chichón
authors.forename: Rocío
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arranz
authors.forename: José María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Valpuesta
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hernando
mesh_terms: D020285:Cryoelectron Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D055032:Electron Microscope Tomography / Q000379:methods; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D008027:Light; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D010316:Particle Size; D012492:Salts / Q000737:chemistry; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D012492:Salts; D006046:Gold