Functionalization of Gold Nanostars with Cationic β-Cyclodextrin-Based Polymer for Drug Co-Loading and SERS...

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Gold nanostars (AuNSs) possess excellent plasmon resonance and SERS enhancement but suffer from poor colloidal stability, limiting their use in biomedical applications.
• Cationic β-cyclodextrin-based polymer (CCD/P) offers low cytotoxicity, efficient drug loading, and nanoparticle stabilization capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To functionalize AuNSs with CCD/P to create a stable nanosystem for simultaneous drug loading and SERS-based detection.
• To load phenylethylamine (PhEA) and piperine (PIP) onto the AuNS-CCD/P nanosystem and characterize its properties for potential biomedical applications.

Main Methods:

• Functionalization of AuNSs with CCD/P for loading PhEA and PIP, forming the AuNS-CCD/P-PhEA-PIP nanosystem.
• Comprehensive characterization using UV-VIS, IR, NMR, TGA, SPR, DLS, zeta potential, FE-SEM, TEM, Raman optical activity, and SERS.
• Evaluation of colloidal stability, drug loading capacity, and physicochemical parameters.

Main Results:

• The AuNS-CCD/P-PhEA-PIP nanosystem exhibited enhanced colloidal stability compared to bare AuNSs.
• High drug loading capacity of 95 ± 7% for PhEA-PIP was achieved.
• Physicochemical properties, including size and zeta potential, were found suitable for potential biomedical applications.

Conclusions:

• The developed AuNS-CCD/P-PhEA-PIP nanosystem demonstrates improved stability and high drug-loading efficiency.
• This nanomaterial shows promise for simultaneous drug delivery and SERS-based detection, opening avenues for advanced biomedical applications.