Gold nanoparticles and quantum dots for bioimaging

Abstract

Nanoparticles are the latest tool acquired by the science of bioimaging, serving primarily as new contrast agents, sensors, or signal enhancing agents in established and developing imaging techniques. This review focuses on the unique properties of two classes of nanoparticles: gold nanoparticles (GNP) and quantum dots, and how these properties are benefiting cellular and in vivo imaging. We discuss the surface plasmon resonance of GNP and its implications for various imaging techniques of biological relevance. Furthermore, the key properties of quantum dots are reviewed, and their use alone or in combination with traditional fluorescent dyes for biological imaging are described. The underlying principles of these techniques are provided, along with some representative examples.

Gold nanoparticles induce nuclear damage in breast cancer cells, which is further amplified by hyperthermia

“…While small gold nanospheres and nanoflowers, but not big gold These applications take advantage of the unique optical properties of GNPs, such as strong light scattering, intense absorption, and enhancement of electromagnetic fields. The GNP properties result from the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPs), i.e., charge density oscillations that are confined to the particles [15]. LSPs, and therefore the physico-chemical properties, depend on the size, shape, and surface of nanoparticles.…”

PEGylated Gold Nanoparticles as a Biocompatible Contrast Agent in X-ray Imaging of Breast Tumor in Mouse Model

“…Gold nanoparticles are increasingly becoming the subject of investigation as radiographic contrast media due to the toxicity of most commonly used contrast agents (Hutter and Maysinger, 2010). However, unmodified GNPs have some disadvantages like cell aging and low blood circulation time (Mironava et al, 2013).…”

“…Nanomaterials have become increasingly important in the development of new contrast agents for in vivo imaging (Hutter and Maysinger, 2010). Gold nanoparticles have remarkable advantages as an effective X-ray contrast agent such as negligible osmolality of 7.2 mM, (Sungsook et al, 2013), low viscosity (Sungsook et al, 2013, higher absorption coefficient than iodine, and less interference of bones and tissues (Sungsook et al, 2013;Hainfeld and Slatkin, 2006).…”

Label-free colorimetric sensing of cobalt(ii) based on inducing aggregation of thiosulfate stabilized gold nanoparticles in the presence of ethylenediamine

“…[16][17][18][19][20][21][22] ). 30 It should be noted that the above results were achieved via labeled AuNPs, i.e.…”