Protein-gold hybrid nanocubes for cell imaging and drug delivery

Multifunctional biocompatible nanomaterials containing both fluorescent and vehicle functions are highly favored in bioimaging, therapeutic, and drug delivery applications. Nevertheless, the rational design and synthesis of highly biocompatible multifunctional materials remain challenging. We present here the development of novel protein-gold hybrid nanocubes (PGHNs), which were assembled using gold nanoclusters, bovine serum albumin, and tryptophan as building blocks. The green-synthesized PGHNs in this study are blue-emitting under UV exposure and cube-shaped with a size of approximately 100 nm. These hybrid nanomaterials are highly biocompatible as shown by cytotoxicity experiments and can be readily internalized by different types of cells. Moreover, PGHNs can act as nanovehicles that successfully deliver dyes or drugs into the cells. The protein-metal hybrid nanocubes can serve as a new type of dual-purpose tool: a blue-emitting cell marker in bioimaging investigation and a nanocarrier in drug delivery studies.