Applications of gold nanoparticles are on the forefront of research in many areas, including environmental, industrial, and biomedical sciences. Altering the surface treatment of spherical gold nanoparticle cores, particularly those smaller than 100 nm, can influence their potential use in a number of ways. Lipid coated nanoparticles with specifically selected surface ligands can be used for multiple biomedical functions including, medical imaging, for use as colorimetric sensors within the body, and as cell or organelle specific targets for therapeutic drug delivery or cancer treatment. Here we synthesize spherical gold nanoparticles ranging in size from 8-40 nm (avg. diameter 23-48 nm), and coat them with poly(allylamine hydrocholoride) (PAH) and a mixed lipid solution of 1:1 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-L-serine (POPS) and lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), two of the four major types of lipids found in the human body. Characterization using NanoSight LM10HS particle sizer shows a gradual increase in size after each step in the coating process for nanoparticle cores ranging in size from 16-27 nm. The purified lipid coating thicknesses of these nanoparticles was consistently 2-3 times that of the PAH coated sample it was layered on to, suggesting a successful, multi-layered coat that ranges in size based on the PAH coated core size. UV-Vis spectroscopy shows a slight red shift, indicating a slight increase in size and change in refractive index, which supports the presence of lipid coating on the PAH coated gold nanoparticle cores.

Synthesis and characterization of lipid coated gold nanoparticle cores

251st National Meeting (2016)

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