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Updated: Dec 25, 2025

Synthesis of Functionalized 10-nm Polymer-coated Gold Particles for Endothelium Targeting and Drug Delivery
Published on: January 15, 2018
Design of surface ligands for blood compatible gold nanoparticles: Effect of charge and binding energy
Jordan Beurton1, Philippe Lavalle2, Arnaud Pallotta3
1Université de Lorraine, CITHEFOR, Nancy, France; Université de Strasbourg, Faculty of Medicine, Inserm UMR 1121 Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Strasbourg, France.
Abstract:
Gold nanoparticle (AuNP) interaction with the blood compartment as a function of their charge and the binding energy of their surface ligand was explored. Citrate, polyallylamine and cysteamine stabilized AuNP along with dihydrolipoic acid and polyethylene glycol capped AuNP were synthesized and fully characterized. Their interactions with model proteins (human albumin and human fibrinogen) were studied. Complexes formed between AuNP and protein revealed several behaviors ranging from corona formation to aggregation. Protein fluorescence quenching as a function of temperature and AuNP concentration allowed the determination of the thermodynamic parameters describing these interactions. The hemolysis induced by AuNP was also probed: an increasing or a decreasing of hemolysis ratio induced by AuNP was observed as of function of protein corona formation. Taken together, our results drew up a composite sketch of an ideal surface ligand for blood compatible AuNP. This capping agent should be strongly bound to the gold core by one or more thiol groups and it must confer a negative charge to the particles.
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