In-situ Investigations on Gold Nanoparticles Stabilization Mechanisms in Biological Environments Containing HSA
Journal article, 2022
Nanoparticles (NPs) developments advance innovative biomedical applications. However, complex interactions and the low colloidal stability of NPs in biological media restrict their widespread utilization. The influence of NPs properties on the colloidal stability for gold NPs with 5 and 40 nm in diameter with two surface modifications, methoxy-polyethylene glycol-sulfhydryl (PEG) and citrate, in NaCl and human serum albumin (HSA) protein solution, is investigated. This study is based on small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) methods allowing the in-situ monitoring of interactions in physiological conditions. The PEG coating provides high colloidal stability for NPs of both sizes. For 5 nm NPs in NaCl solution, a stable 3D self-assembled body-centered cubic (BCC) arrangement is detected with an interparticle distance of 20.7 ± 0.1 nm. In protein solution, this distance increases to 21.9 ± 0.1 nm by protein penetration inside the ordered structure. For citrate-capped NPs, a different mechanism is observed. The protein particles attach to the NPs surfaces, and an appropriate concentration of proteins results in a stable suspension. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (Cryo-TEM), UV–visible spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering (DLS) support the SAXS results. The findings will pave the way to design and synthesize NPs with controlled behaviors in biomedical applications.
small-angle X-ray scattering
gold nanoparticles
protein corona
colloidal stability
aggregation
UV–visible spectroscopy
human serum albumin
Author
Neda Iranpour Anaraki
University of Fribourg
Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa)
Marianne Liebi
Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa)
Chalmers, Physics, Materials Physics
Quy Ong
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL)
Clément Blanchet
European Molecular Biology Laboratory
Anjani K. Maurya
Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory
Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa)
Francesco Stellacci
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL)
Stefan Salentinig
University of Fribourg
Peter Wick
Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa)
Antonia Neels
Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa)
University of Fribourg
Advanced Functional Materials
1616-301X (ISSN) 16163028 (eISSN)
Vol. 32 9 2110253Subject Categories
Physical Chemistry
Other Chemistry Topics
Biophysics
DOI
10.1002/adfm.202110253