Structural organization of lipid-functionalized-Au nanoparticles

Alessandra Luchini; Gerardino D'Errico; Serena Leone; Zahra Vaezi; Annalisa Bortolotti; Lorenzo Stella; Giuseppe Vitiello; Luigi Paduano

doi:10.1016/j.colsurfb.2018.04.044

Structural organization of lipid-functionalized-Au nanoparticles

Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces. 2018 Aug 1:168:2-9. doi: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2018.04.044. Epub 2018 Apr 24.

Authors

Alessandra Luchini¹, Gerardino D'Errico², Serena Leone³, Zahra Vaezi⁴, Annalisa Bortolotti⁴, Lorenzo Stella⁴, Giuseppe Vitiello⁵, Luigi Paduano⁶

Affiliations

¹ Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitet sparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
² Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo, via Cintia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy; CSGI, Consorzio Interuniversitario per lo Sviluppo dei Sistemi a Grande Interfase, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy.
³ Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo, via Cintia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy.
⁴ Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, University of Roma Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Roma, Italy.
⁵ CSGI, Consorzio Interuniversitario per lo Sviluppo dei Sistemi a Grande Interfase, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy; Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples "Federico II", Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy. Electronic address: giuseppe.vitiello@unina.it.
⁶ Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo, via Cintia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy; CSGI, Consorzio Interuniversitario per lo Sviluppo dei Sistemi a Grande Interfase, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy. Electronic address: luigi.paduano@unina.it.

PMID: 29728291
DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2018.04.044

Abstract

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are considered suitable systems for drug delivery and diagnostics with several applications in biomedicine. Size, shape and surface functionalization of these nanoparticles are important parameters influencing their behavior in a biological environment. This study describes the preparation and the characterization of lysophosphocholine coated AuNPs by means of Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS), Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) and Fluorescence Spectroscopy. In particular the structure of the functionalized AuNP suspension, as well as the physical properties, of the nanoparticle organic coating are discussed. The experimental results indicated that functionalized lysophosphocholine-AuNPs form aggregates, which are composed by nanoparticles with core-shell structure. Nevertheless, the nanoparticle suspension resulted to be stable, without significant structural rearrangements even when the temperature was increased to 50 °C. At the same time, experimental evidences also suggested that the 18LPC layer around AuNPs presented a reduced chain packing compared to pure 18LPC aggregates.

Keywords: Amphiphiles; Coating; Gold nanoparticle; Lipid.

MeSH terms

Coated Materials, Biocompatible / chemical synthesis
Coated Materials, Biocompatible / chemistry*
Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy
Gold / chemistry*
Lipids / chemistry*
Lysophosphatidylcholines / chemistry
Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry*
Scattering, Small Angle
Spectrometry, Fluorescence
Temperature

Substances

Coated Materials, Biocompatible
Lipids
Lysophosphatidylcholines
Gold