Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 29, 2026
Synthesis of Near-Infrared Emitting Gold Nanoclusters for Biological Applications
Published on: March 22, 2020
Ru(II)-polypyridyl surface functionalised gold nanoparticles as DNA targeting supramolecular structures and
Miguel Martínez-Calvo1, Kim N Orange2, Robert B P Elmes3
1School of Chemistry and Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland. gunnlaut@tcd.ie martinm9@tcd.ie.
Abstract:
The development of Ru(II) functionalized gold nanoparticles 1–3·AuNP is described. These systems were found to be mono-disperse with a hydrodynamic radius of ca. 15 nm in water but gave rise to the formation of higher order structures in buffered solution. The interaction of 1–3·AuNP with DNA was also studied by spectroscopic and microscopic methods and suggested the formation of large self-assembly structures in solution. The uptake of 1–3·AuNP by cancer cells was studied using both confocal fluorescence as well as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), with the aim of investigating their potential as tools for cellular biology. These systems displaying a non-toxic profile with favourable photophysical properties may have application across various biological fields including diagnostics and therapeutics.
