Photochemically-assisted synthesis of non-toxic and biocompatible gold nanoparticles.
This contribution describes the photochemically-assisted synthesis of aqueous colloidal suspensions of non-toxic and biocompatible spherical gold nanoparticles stabilized by branched polyethylenimine, or else Au-np-PEI. The method consists on 30min of photoexcitation (254nm, 16W) at room temperature of an aqueous diluted solution of chloroauric acid (HAuCl4) containing PEI. While the UV irradiation forms the [Au(3+)Cl4-]* excited species that succesively transforms into zero valent Au, PEI controls the nucleation step of nanoparticles formation. Varying the PEI to Au molar ratio permits one to tune the size of nanoparticles between 100nm to 8nm. The obtained colloidal suspensions display an intense plasmonic absorption band at 520-530nm and positive zeta potentials greater than +20mV. The cells viability for in vitro tests performed with human connective tissues and human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cell lines is over 80% and 90%, respectively, when they are incubated with Au-np-PEI formulations (25μgmL-1). The present photochemically-assisted synthesis is advantageous because it is fast and does not require for either hazardous or cytotoxic reductant agents and additional purification procedures.
Laboratório de Pesquisa em Polímeros e Nanomateriais, Instituto de Química, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF 70904-970, Brazil.
Priscila R
PR
Teixeira
Laboratório de Microscopia Eletrônica, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF 70919-970, Brazil; Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
Mayara S C
MSC
Santos
Laboratório de Microscopia Eletrônica, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF 70919-970, Brazil.
Ana Luísa G
ALG
Silva
Laboratório de Microscopia Eletrônica, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF 70919-970, Brazil.
Sônia N
SN
Báo
Departamento de Genética e Morfologia, Universidade de Brasilia, Brasília, DF, 70919-900, Brazil.
Ricardo B
RB
Azevedo
Laboratório de Pesquisa em Polímeros e Nanomateriais, Instituto de Química, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF 70904-970, Brazil.
Maria José A
MJA
Sales
Laboratório de Pesquisa em Polímeros e Nanomateriais, Instituto de Química, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF 70904-970, Brazil. Electronic address: lpaterno@unb.br.
Leonardo G
LG
Paterno
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002460:Cell Line; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D055668:Photochemical Processes
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D006046:Gold
Biocompatible nanoparticles; Branched polyethyleimine; Gold nanoparticles; Photochemical reduction; Photochemically-assisted synthesis