Abstract
This study presents the synthesis of gold–Pluronic core–shell nanoparticles by a two-step method and investigates their biological impact on cancer cells, specifically nanoparticle internalization and cytotoxicity. Uniform, 9–10-nm-sized, hydrophobic gold nanoparticles were synthesized in organic phase by reducing gold salt with oleylamine, after which oleylamine-protected gold nanoparticles were phase-transferred into aqueous medium using Pluronic F127 block copolymer, resulting in gold–Pluronic core–shell nanoparticles with a mean hydrodynamic diameter of ~35 nm. The formation and phase-transfer of gold nanoparticles were analyzed by UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering. The obtained gold–Pluronic core–shell nanoparticles proved to be highly stable in salted solution. Cytotoxicity tests showed no modification of cellular viability in the presence of properly purified particles. Furthermore, dark-field cellular imaging demonstrated that gold–Pluronic nanoparticles were able to be efficiently uptaken by cells, being internalized through nonspecific endocytosis. The high stability, proven biocompatibility, and imaging properties of gold–Pluronic core–shell nanoparticles hold promise for relevant intracellular applications, with such a design providing the feasibility to combine all multiple functionalities in one nanoparticle for simultaneous detection and imaging.
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Acknowledgments
This study was supported by CNCSIS–UEFISCDI, Project Number PNII-ID PCCE 129/2008. T. Simon also acknowledges the financial support of the Sectoral Operational Programme for Human Resources Development 2007–2013, co-financed by the European Social Fund, under the project number POSDRU/107/1.5/S/76841 with the title “Modern Doctoral Studies: Internationalization and Interdisciplinarity.” S. Boca acknowledges Rhône-Alpes Région, post-doctoral Grant CMIRA-AccueilPro-2011. The authors gratefully acknowledge the provision of the cell lines by Aurelie Juhem and Sophie Marotte.
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Fig. S1
Zeta-potential distribution of Pluronic-capped gold nanoparticles. (PDF 9 kb)
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Simon, T., Boca, S., Biro, D. et al. Gold–Pluronic core–shell nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization and biological evaluation. J Nanopart Res 15, 1578 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-013-1578-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-013-1578-5