Issue 16, 2011

Synthesis, characterization, DNA interaction and potential applications of gold nanoparticles functionalized with Acridine Orange fluorophores

Abstract

Two new water-soluble gold nanoparticles (AO-TEG-Au and AO-PEG-Au NPs) are prepared and characterized. They are stabilized by thioalkylated oligoethylene glycols and functionalized with fluorescent Acridine Orange (AO) derivatives. Despite the different core sizes (11.8 and 3.9 nm respectively) and shell composition, they are both well dispersed and are stable in water, even if some self-aggregation is observed in the case of AO-TEG-Au NPs. However, AO-PEG-Au NPs show much lower emission efficiency with respect to AO-TEG-Au NPs. Spectrophotometric and spectrofluorometric experiments indicate that both types of nanoparticle are able to bind to calf thymus DNA, either by external binding or partial intercalation. Preliminary FACS flow cytometry tests seem to indicate that the AO-TEG-Au nanoparticle is able to cross the cell membrane where it is absorbed by Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells at the picomolar concentration level.

Graphical abstract: Synthesis, characterization, DNA interaction and potential applications of gold nanoparticles functionalized with Acridine Orange fluorophores

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
11 Oct 2010
Accepted
09 Feb 2011
First published
09 Mar 2011

Dalton Trans., 2011,40, 4190-4199

Synthesis, characterization, DNA interaction and potential applications of gold nanoparticles functionalized with Acridine Orange fluorophores

T. Biver, N. Eltugral, A. Pucci, G. Ruggeri, A. Schena, F. Secco and M. Venturini, Dalton Trans., 2011, 40, 4190 DOI: 10.1039/C0DT01371D

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