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The interplay between surface-functionalized gold nanoparticles and negatively charged lipid vesicles.
Xuebo Quan1, Daohui Zhao2, Jian Zhou1
1School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab for Green Chemical Product Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China. jianzhou@scut.edu.cn.
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics : PCCP
|October 13, 2021
Summary
Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) interact differently with lipid vesicles based on their surface charge and chemistry. Understanding these interactions is key for advancing AuNP applications in biomedicine.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Interactions between gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and phospholipid vesicles are crucial for biomedical applications.
- Current understanding of these interactions, particularly concerning surface functionalization, remains limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interactions between functionalized AuNPs and negatively charged lipid vesicles.
- To analyze the influence of AuNP surface chemistry and surface charge density (SCD) on vesicle interaction modes.
Main Methods:
- Coarse-grained molecular dynamics (CGMD) simulations were employed.
- Simulations focused on functionalized AuNPs and negatively charged lipid vesicles.
Main Results:
- AuNPs with different surface ligands exhibited varied interactions: anionic AuNPs adhered to the membrane, while hydrophobic and cationic AuNPs penetrated the bilayer.
- Cationic AuNPs showed three interaction modes (insertion, partial, complete penetration) dependent on SCD.
- Low SCD cationic AuNPs inserted without damage via hydrophobic interactions, adopting a 'snorkeling' configuration.
- High SCD cationic AuNPs induced membrane pores via electrostatic interactions, leading to vesicle destruction and core entry.
Conclusions:
- AuNP penetration into curved vesicle membranes is easier than planar bilayers.
- Both hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions govern AuNP-vesicle interplay.
- Findings offer molecular-level insights into AuNP-lipid vesicle interactions, potentially expanding functional AuNP applications in biomedicine.
