Characterizing nanoparticles in complex biological media and physiological fluids with depolarized dynamic light scattering

Nanoscale. 2015 Apr 14;7(14):5991-7. doi: 10.1039/c4nr06538g.

Abstract

Light scattering is one of the few techniques available to adequately characterize suspended nanoparticles (NPs) in real time and in situ. However, when it comes to NPs in multicomponent and optically complex aqueous matrices - such as biological media and physiological fluids - light scattering suffers from lack of selectivity, as distinguishing the relevant optical signals from the irrelevant ones is very challenging. We meet this challenge by building on depolarized scattering: Unwanted signals from the matrix are completely suppressed. This approach yields information with an unprecedented signal-to-noise ratio in favour of the NPs and NP-biomolecule corona complexes, which in turn opens the frontier to scattering-based studies addressing the behaviour of NPs in complex physiological/biological fluids.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Body Fluids / chemistry*
  • Gold / chemistry*
  • Light*
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Scattering, Radiation*
  • Signal-To-Noise Ratio

Substances

  • Gold