Front Cover: Highly hydrophilic cationic gold nanorods stabilized by novel quaternary ammonium surfactant with negligible cytotoxicity (J. Biophotonics 12/2019)

Abstract

Cationic gold nanorods stabilized by quaternary ammonium salts (QAS) are a promising tool for photothermal destruction of cancer cells. However, cytotoxicity of the alkanethiol‐QAS limits their medical applications. A novel design of cationic surfactant composed of the quaternary ammonium group and ethylene glycol chain significantly reduces the compound cytotoxicity in the free state while allowing the preparation of stable nanorods with high cellular uptake and lysosomal localization. Further details can be found in the article by Sarka Salajkova, Michal Sramek, David Malinak, et al. (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jbio.201900024).

Gold Nanorods: The Most Versatile Plasmonic Nanoparticles

“…Many researchers have tried to replace CTAB with other environmentally friendly surfactants to satisfy different experimental requirements. For example, Au NRs are coated with a fluorosurfactant through hydroxyl–hydrophilic interaction for improved biocompatibility, protected by a thiol–CTAB monolayer for improved stability, , covered with citrate to change the surface charges, and modified by a phospholipid bilayer to improve cell uptake. − The hydrophilicity of Au NRs can be improved by coating quaternary ammonium surfactants on the surface . Amphiphilic surfactants, such as polyoxyethylene[10]­cetyl ether, can permit the dispersion of Au NRs in nonaqueous solvents .…”