Water-Redispersible and Highly Stable Gold Nanoparticles Permanently Capped by Charge-Controllable Surfactants for Potential Medical Applications

Young Jin Yoon, Shin Hyun Kang, Changwoo Do, Se Youn Moon, Tae Hwan Kim

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

A nanosized gold particle (AuNP) can increase the active surface area available for a chemical reaction to maximum; it can also provide enhanced reaction activity in catalysis or present a variety of optical properties. However, in aqueous solution, AuNPs without additional surface functionalization are rather unstable; this causes many limitations on further processing. Moreover, it is still challenging to achieve stable AuNPs with a narrow size distribution in aqueous solution. Herein, we report an approach to fabricating highly stable AuNPs that are water-redispersible and possess a narrow size distribution in aqueous solution. This is achieved by using AuNPs that are prepared in an organic solvent and provide excellent monodispersity (which is the Brust method). The fabrication of stable AuNP in aqueous solution is a very simple three-step procedure: formation of an oil/water microemulsion by ultrasonication, evaporation of organic solvent, and in situ free-radical polymerization of surfactants. Therefore, this process renders it possible to continue the processing in water. The fabricated AuNPs [p-AuNP/cetyltrimethylammonium 4-vinylbenzoate (CTVB)] were individually encapsulated using a stable surfactant layer that was well-dispersed and highly stable even in harsh processes such as freeze-drying and under the action of a strong acid or base. Moreover, these particles also persist for at least 3 months in water; this can provide a wide range of potential applications including the contrast agents or biosensors in medical diagnostics and the optical sensors or optoelectronics in optical devices. Furthermore, the surface charge density of p-AuNP/CTVBs was also controlled by copolymerizing them with an anionic hydrotropic salt; the range of control was +18.3 to-41.9 mV.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)7924-7932
Number of pages9
JournalACS Applied Nano Materials
Volume2
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 27 2019

Funding

This research was supported by the Basic Science Research and National Nuclear Technology Programs through the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Education (Grant NRF-2017R1D1A3B03028827). The research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Spallation Neutron Source was sponsored by the Scientific User Facilities Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy. This research was supported by the Basic Science Research and National Nuclear Technology Programs through the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Education (Grant NRF-2017R1D1A3B03028827). The research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Spallation Neutron Source was sponsored by the Scientific User Facilities Division Office of Basic Energy Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy.

FundersFunder number
National Nuclear Technology Programs
Scientific User Facilities Division
Scientific User Facilities Division Office of Basic Energy Sciences
U.S. Department of Energy
Basic Energy Sciences
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Ministry of EducationNRF-2017R1D1A3B03028827
National Research Foundation of Korea

    Keywords

    • gold nanoparticle
    • noncovalent functionalization
    • polymerization
    • surfactant
    • water-redispersible

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