Ligand shell morphology of water-soluble mixed-monolayer protected gold nanoparticles

Abstract

Nanoparticles comprise a versatile class of nanomaterials that consist of particles that have a characteristic length scale less than 100nm. They are on a similar length scale as many biological elements, so it is fitting that they are being used increasingly in biological systems for a variety of applications. Interesting properties of water-soluble metal nanoparticles that could lead to novel biological applications include bio-catalytic, sensing, and light scattering capabilities. We will present here the characterization of novel highly water-soluble gold nanoparticles that can be used as model systems to study the fundamental mechanisms of cellular uptake and intracellular trafficking.