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Luminescent Gold Nanoparticles with Controllable Hydrophobic Interactions
Bing Tang1, Wenle Xia1, Wei Cai1
1Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Engineering of Guangdong Province, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, China.
Nano Letters
|October 10, 2022
Summary
Researchers developed luminescent gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with tunable near-infrared II (NIR-II) emission by using amphiphilic block copolymer (ABC) templates. This strategy enhances biocompatibility and imaging capabilities for biological applications.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Developing luminescent gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with redshifted emission in the second near-infrared window (NIR-II) and good biocompatibility remains a significant challenge.
- Existing methods often struggle to achieve both enhanced emission wavelengths and improved biological interactions simultaneously.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a facile strategy for redshifting the emission of luminescent AuNPs into the NIR-II region.
- To enhance the biological interactions and biocompatibility of these engineered AuNPs.
- To explore the potential of these AuNPs in biological imaging, specifically in colitis models.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an amphiphilic block copolymer (ABC) template with controllable hydrophobic interactions, forming unimers and micelles.
- Engineered luminescent AuNPs *in situ* within the hydrophobic cores of ABC micelles and on the surface of ABC unimers.
- Characterized the emission properties (wavelength, quantum yield) and biological affinities of the resulting AuNPs.
Main Results:
- AuNPs clustered within ABC micelles exhibited enhanced emission at 1080 nm with a high quantum yield (QY) of 1.6% due to strong interparticle hydrophobic interactions.
- AuNPs formed on ABC unimers showed redshifted emission at 1280 nm with a QY of 0.25% due to strong intraparticle hydrophobic interactions.
- These engineered AuNPs demonstrated enhanced affinities for injured intestinal mucosa, proving effective in colitis imaging.
Conclusions:
- The ABC template strategy offers a versatile approach to tune the emission of luminescent AuNPs and enhance their biological interactions.
- The ability to generate AuNPs with highly redshifted NIR-II emission and improved biocompatibility opens new avenues for advanced biomedical imaging.
- This work provides a foundation for designing next-generation luminescent nanoparticles for targeted diagnostics and therapeutics.
