title: Facile synthesis of fluorescent Au@SiO2 nanocomposites for application in cellular imaging.
abstract: A novel fluorescent Au@SiO(2) nanocomposite, with average size of ca. 30 nm in the diameter, was prepared via a simple microemulsion method. Additionally, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis absorption spectra, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra and fluorescence spectra were used to characterize this nanocomposite. This newly synthesized, silica-wrapped, gold nanocluster has the following advantages: good water solubility, exceptional biocompatibility, favorable surface properties and excellent fluorescence properties. Because of these advantages, a Au@SiO(2) nanocomposite is exceptionally suitable for biological applications. In this study, cellular imaging, as a form of biological application, has been fully investigated, and it was discovered, after covalent conjugation of folic acid (FA), that the nanocomposite effectively recognized over expressed folic acid receptors (FARs) on the HeLa cell's surface. Therefore, this fluorescent Au@SiO(2) nanocomposite could be used as a new fluorescent probe for selective biological imaging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
authors.forename: Zhengyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Guohai
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Baohong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jilie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kong
mesh_terms: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry*; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006046:Gold; D012822:Silicon Dioxide