Alginate-Stabilized Gold Nanoparticles Prepared Using the Microwave-Induced Plasma-in-Liquid Process with Long-Term Storage Stability for Potential Biomedical Applications

Haoran Liu; Kai Ikeda; Mai Thanh Nguyen; Susumu Sato; Naoki Matsuda; Hiroki Tsukamoto; Tomoharu Tokunaga; Tetsu Yonezawa

doi:10.1021/acsomega.1c06769

Alginate-Stabilized Gold Nanoparticles Prepared Using the Microwave-Induced Plasma-in-Liquid Process with Long-Term Storage Stability for Potential Biomedical Applications

ACS Omega. 2022 Feb 10;7(7):6238-6247. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.1c06769. eCollection 2022 Feb 22.

Authors

Haoran Liu¹, Kai Ikeda¹, Mai Thanh Nguyen¹, Susumu Sato², Naoki Matsuda³, Hiroki Tsukamoto¹, Tomoharu Tokunaga⁴, Tetsu Yonezawa¹

Affiliations

¹ Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Kita 13 Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan.
² Department of Information Systems, Faculty of Engineering, Saitama Institute of Technology, Shinzaiji, Fukaya, Saitama 369-0293, Japan.
³ National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Kyushu Brach, 807-1, Shuku-machi, Tosu, Saga 841-0052, Japan.
⁴ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8603 Japan.

Abstract

A one-step preparation of alginate-stabilized gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) using the microwave-induced plasma-in-liquid process (MWPLP) was reported. Effects of alginate with various concentrations on the preparation and properties of the synthesized Au NPs, including reaction rate, morphology, size, and optical absorption property, were studied. The introduction of alginate (1) accelerated the reaction rate, (2) prevented aggregation and precipitation due to long time discharge in MWPLP, and (3) provided long-term colloidal stability. An abnormal size change (from large to small) of Au NPs during particle growth, which was opposite to the typical change in bottom-up chemical reduction, was observed and a possible mechanism was proposed based on the dynamical and thermodynamical instability of particles during growth. The strategy of drying and redispersion of Au NPs in alginate solution was also studied. The drying and redispersion process had an imperceptible effect on the Au NPs. As a consequence, this strategy might be an effective technique for the long-term storage of Au NPs and other metal NPs. The alginate-stabilized Au NPs without the addition of toxic reducing or stabilizing agents can be appropriate to biomedical applications.