Home › Cell Biology › Synthesis of Functionalized 10-nm Polymer-coated Gold Particles for Endothelium Targeting and Drug Delivery
Cell Biology JoVE (Open Access) Citable · DOI

Synthesis of Functionalized 10-nm Polymer-coated Gold Particles for Endothelium Targeting and Drug Delivery

DOI: 10.3791/56760-v
What you'll learn
  • ✓ Synthesize polyethylene glycol-coated gold nanoparticles (PEG-AuNPs) using THPC reduction method
  • ✓ Conjugate fluorescent dyes to PEG-AuNP surface via aminosilane linkers
  • ✓ Characterize nanoparticle size, stability, and biocompatibility using analytical techniques
  • ✓ Apply functionalized AuNPs for targeted drug delivery to endothelial cells
Protocol

Biopharma Insights We describe a method of synthesizing biocompatible 10-nm gold nanoparticles, functionalized by coating poly-ethylene glycol onto the surface. These particles can be used in vitro and in vivo for delivering therapeutics to nanoscale cellular and extracellular spaces that are difficult to access with conventional nanoparticle sizes.

Difficulty
advanced
Total time
~3–5 days (including synthesis, conjugation, characterization, and biocompatibility assessment)
Biosafety
BSL-1

Steps

1
Synthesize polyethylene glycol-coated gold nanoparticles

Prepare 10-nm gold nanoparticles using THPC reduction method and coat with polyethylene glycol to enhance biocompatibility. The PEG coating facilitates surface functionalization and in vivo targeting.

▶ 00:38
2
Conjugate fluorophores to PEG-AuNP amino groups

Attach fluorescent dye molecules to the amine-terminated PEG coating using covalent coupling chemistry. This enables visualization and tracking of nanoparticles during cellular and in vivo studies.

▶ 03:13
3
Characterize size and fluorescence of functionalized nanoparticles

Analyze nanoparticle hydrodynamic size, fluorescence intensity, and optical properties using transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and fluorescence spectroscopy.

▶ 04:56
4
Assess biocompatibility and endothelial targeting capability

Evaluate the stability, cytotoxicity, and binding efficacy of fluorescent PEG-AuNPs to endothelial cells in vitro and confirm suitability for in vivo drug delivery applications.

▶ 08:46
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