Understanding the origin of functionalized nanoparticle (NP) biocompatibility, and conversely toxicity, is essential to inform the design of more effective theranostic agents and mitigate the potential implications of nanoparticles released into the environment. While we are far from understanding the chemical origin of NP biocompatibility, it is widely accepted that the physiochemical properties of NPs (size, shape, and surface chemistry) have a strong influence on their interactions with biological systems. In order to better understand the connection between NP surface chemistry and biocompatibility, we investigated the effect of NP surface chemistry on biological response in model organisms Shewanella oneidensis and Daphnia magna. We prepared a library of functionalized gold nanoparticles (4.0 nm diameter) with different surface chemistries including positively-charged ligands, neutral ligands, and negatively-charged ligands. Prior to and following AuNP exposure to Shewanella and Daphnia media, we characterized the surface chemistry of the AuNPs, and examined how their surface chemistry changed following immersion in biological media. The biocompatibility of the AuNPs was determined in both acute and chronic exposure to S. oneidensis and D. magna populations by measuring biological response at a variety of different levels including mortality, gene expression, and reactive oxygen species generation. Thus far, we have observed that AuNPs stabilized with positively-charged ligands, such as polyallyl amine hydrochloride or cetyltrimethyl ammonium, provoke a more significant biological response at all levels of testing, compared to neutral (e.g. PEG) or negatively-charged (e.g. citrate) AuNPs for both model systems.

Links between functionalized gold nanoparticle surface chemistry and biocompatibility compared in two model organisms <i>D. magna</i> and <i>S. oneidensis</i>

246th National Meeting (2013)

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Links between functionalized gold nanoparticle surface chemistry and biocompatibility compared in two model organisms D. magna and S. oneidensis