Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Synthesis and Catalytic Performance of Gold Intercalated in the Walls of Mesoporous Silica
Published on: July 9, 2015
Monitoring the Stimulated Uncapping Process of Gold-Capped Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles
Ashley E Augspurger1,2, Xiaoxing Sun1,2, Brian G Trewyn1,2,3
1Department of Chemistry , Iowa State University , Ames , Iowa 50011 , United States.
Abstract:
To establish a new method for tracking the interaction of nanoparticles with chemical cleaving agents, we exploited the optical effects caused by attaching 5-10 nm gold nanoparticles with molecular linkers to large mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN). At low levels of gold loading onto MSN, the optical spectra resemble colloidal suspensions of gold. As the gold is removed, by cleaving agents, the MSN revert to the optical spectra typical of bare silica. Time-lapse images of gold-capped MSN stationed in microchannels reveal that the rate of gold release is dependent on the concentration of the cleaving agent. The uncapping process was also monitored successfully for MSN endocytosed by A549 cancer cells, which produce the cleaving agent glutathione. These experiments demonstrate that the optical properties of MSN can be used to directly monitor cleaving kinetics, even in complex cellular settings.
Related Concept Videos
Silica Gel Column Chromatography: Overview
Polar components tend to bind strongly to the silica gel, causing them to move slowly through the column. In contrast, nonpolar compounds...
pre-mRNA Processing
Once about 20-40 ribonucleotides have been joined together by RNA polymerase, a group of enzymes adds a “cap” to the 5’ end of the growing transcript. In this process, a 5’ phosphate is replaced by modified guanosine that has a methyl group attached to it (7-Methyl...
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
Stimulants
Cocaine can be administered via snorting, injection, or smoking. It primarily functions by blocking the reuptake of dopamine, resulting in a euphoric high characterized by an intense sensation of happiness and...
Holter Monitor: 24-Hour Monitoring
Parallel Processing

