Gold nanoparticle size controlled by polymeric Au(I) thiolate precursor size

J Am Chem Soc. 2008 Jan 23;130(3):975-82. doi: 10.1021/ja076333e. Epub 2007 Dec 23.

Abstract

We developed a method in preparing size-controllable gold nanoparticles (Au NPs, 2-6 nm) capped with glutathione by varying the pH (between 5.5 and 8.0) of the solution before reduction. This method is based on the formation of polymeric nanoparticle precursors, Au(I)-glutathione polymers, which change size and density depending on the pH. Dynamic light scattering, size exclusion chromatography, and UV-vis spectroscopy results suggest that lower pH values favor larger and denser polymeric precursors and higher pH values favor smaller and less dense precursors. Consequently, the larger precursors led to the formation of larger Au NPs, whereas smaller precursors led to the formation of smaller Au NPs. Using this strategy, Au NPs functionalized with nickel(II) nitriloacetate (Ni-NTA) group were prepared by a mixed-ligand approach. These Ni-NTA functionalized Au NPs exhibited specific binding to 6x-histidine-tagged Adenovirus serotype 12 knob proteins, demonstrating their utility in biomolecular labeling applications.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adenoviridae / chemistry
  • Chlorides / chemistry
  • Glutathione / chemistry*
  • Gold / chemistry*
  • Gold Compounds / chemistry
  • Histidine / chemistry
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Nitrilotriacetic Acid / analogs & derivatives
  • Nitrilotriacetic Acid / chemistry
  • Organometallic Compounds / chemistry
  • Particle Size
  • Polymers / chemical synthesis
  • Polymers / chemistry
  • Protein Conformation
  • Viral Proteins / chemistry

Substances

  • Chlorides
  • Gold Compounds
  • Organometallic Compounds
  • Polymers
  • Viral Proteins
  • nickel nitrilotriacetic acid
  • Histidine
  • Gold
  • gold tetrachloride, acid
  • Glutathione
  • Nitrilotriacetic Acid