Gold nanoparticles exhibit unique optical properties and low toxicity that make them attractive nanomaterial for the use in biological environment. The application of plasmonic nanoparticles in drug delivery or biosensing requires the use of proper stabilizing agents that prevent the aggregation of the colloids and exclude uncontrolled interaction with local environment. Poly(ethylene glycol)-coated gold nanoparticles have garnered considerable attention in the use for bio-related application that is due to low protein affinity and relatively high cellular uptake. However, the bulky ligands of the polymer often alter the mobility of the nanoparticles and physicochemical interaction with biomolecules. Here we showed that glycans with low molecular weight effectively stabilize gold nanoparticle with variety of shapes, including spheres, nanorods or nanostars. We experimentally correlated colloidal stability of glucose-stabilized gold nanoparticles in different biological environments and evaluated the transport of the nanoparticles in the complex medium by means of electrophoretic mobility, showing low protein affinity to glycan-based corona. Finally, chemical modification of glycan corona makes possible specific binding of the nanoparticle with desired proteins. We showed that lectin proteins are highly specific for glucosamine-conjugated gold nanoparticles, which was not observed in the case of gold nanoparticles stabilized with glucose.

Glycan-stabilized plasmonic nanoparticles: An attractive nanomaterial for bio-applications

247th National Meeting (2014)

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