NANOPARTICLES

Dr.V.Jeevanantham
 Gold Nanoparticles
• Gold nanoparticles were discovered over twenty years ago, but metals such as silver and copper have also since

been explored.

• Copper is not as popular as gold or silver because gold and silver are less reactive and more stable in air than

copper.

• Gold nanoparticles are widely used in biotechnology and in the biomedical field due to their large surface area and

high level of conductivity.

• Small gold nanoparticles of roughly 30 nanometers (nm) absorb light in the blue to green range of the spectrum

(450nm) and reflect red light.

• As particle size increases, the wavelength of surface plasmon resonance shifts to longer wavelengths with a darker

red colour, meaning that blue light is reflected.

• When salt is added to nanoparticle solutions, the surface charge becomes neutral and causes particles to aggregate

and change the colour of the solution from red to blue.

SPR
• Gold nanoparticles can be synthesized by a variety of different techniques
that are chemical, physical or biological.
• The most common method for making colloidal gold is by a chemical citrate
reduction method.
• Gold nanoparticles can also be produced via γ-irradiation using
polysaccharide alginate as stabilizer, and photochemical reduction.
• A relatively new biological method can be used to make gold nanoparticles
by dissolving gold in sodium chloride solution, using natural chitosan without
any stabilizer and reductant.
• Gold nanoparticles are non-toxic particles with large surface areas that can
be modified with other molecules to be used in biomedical fields.
• Gold nanorods are a type of gold nanoparticle that are frequently used for
invivo cell imaging.
• Due to their small size, it is easy to introduce the nanoparticles into tissues
and cells.
 Silver Nanoparticles
• Silver nanoparticles are highly commercial due to properties such as good conductivity,
chemical stability, catalytic activity, and their antimicrobial activity.

• Due to their properties, they are commonly used in medical and electrical applications.

• Silver nanoparticles optical properties are also dependent on the nanoparticle size.

• Smaller nanospheres absorb light and have peaks near to 400 nm, and larger
nanoparticles have increased scattering to gives peaks that broaden and shift towards
longer wavelengths.

• Larger shifts into the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum are achieved by
changing the nanoparticles shape to rods or plates.
• Silver nanoparticles can also be synthesised chemically, physically or biologically.

• Silver nanoparticles are chemically produced using the polyol process, which uses a
polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) polymer with AgNO3, and ethylene glycol as the reducing agent.
Size and shapes of the silver nanoparticles can be altered based on the molar ratio of AgNO3
and PVP.

• Physical methods such as condensation, evaporation, spark discharging and pyrolysis are used
to produce silver nanoparticles, but they produce a low yield of nanoparticles and have a high
energy consumption compared to other methods.

• The biological method of preparing silver nanoparticles uses green plants as stabilizing and
reducing agents.
• As a result of their antimicrobial and properties, silver nanoparticles are used in the
treatment of microbes such as bacteria, fungi and viruses. Silver nanowires (a form
in which silver nanoparticles are used) are being studied for their use in advanced
technological applications.

• Silver nanoparticles can also be used for colloidal coating and in paints, and are
frequently used in textiles, keyboards, wound dressings, and biomedical devices.
 Characterization
• Both gold and silver nanoparticles can be characterized by using microscopy,
spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. Microscopy techniques include atomic force
microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron
microscopy. Spectroscopy techniques include UV–Vis spectroscopy, X-ray
photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).
• The characterization techniques can be used to determine the size, shape,
crystallinity, and surface area of the nanoparticles.
• The shape and particle size can be analysed using a variety of techniques such as
SEM, TEM and AFM. AFM can also be used to determine particle height and volume
with three-dimensional images.
• Particle size distribution can be assessed by dynamic light scattering, and crystallinity
determined by X-ray diffraction.
 Silica Nanoparticles

• Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) or silicon dioxide are amorphous substances

that have a spherical form.

• They can be produced in a variety of shapes and sizes, and the properties of
their surfaces can be easily changed to suit several purposes.

• Silica nanoparticles are abrasive and absorbent in their nonporous form,

but mesoporous silica nanoparticles with hexagonal pore structures have
great potential in nanomedicine and drug applications.
• The most widely available materials of the Earth's crust include natural silica and
silicates, which are primarily crystalline.

• Because of their excellent biocompatibility, heat resistance, low toxicity, simple

synthetic approach, and massive synthetic supply, silicon dioxide nanoparticles,
frequently referred to as silica nanoparticles, are attractive for biological applications.

• The size of the particles, porosity, crystallinity, and form of silica nanoparticles can all
be carefully controlled, allowing them to be used in a wide range of industrial and
research uses.

• Notably, the multiple surface changes accessible enable them to alter surface
chemistry for drug loading, sturdy, and site-specific targeting
• This nanomaterial consistently features in research, though conflicting
toxicity results have complicated its applications and necessitated
further rigorous analysis.

• Still, substantial research into silica nanoparticles for therapeutic,

diagnostic, and imaging reasons is ongoing; for example, hydrophilic
medicines can be delivered to select tissues using silica nanoparticles
 Synthesis Techniques
• A number of different methods may be used to make SiNPs, which can vary in
size from 10 to 500 nm and have various morphologies and physicochemical
features.

• The Stober's procedure and the microemulsion technique are the two most
widely used synthesis techniques.

• Silica nanoparticles constitute silica mesopores (2–50 nm diameter of pores) with

distinct physicochemical features.

• Nanohelices, nanozigzags, nanotubes, and nanoribbons are examples of

nanocarriers that may be made in various sizes and forms.
 Silica Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery

• Silica nanoparticles utilized in improvement for nano theranostics

purposes are characterized as porous or nonporous based on their
morphological and, to some degree, functional characteristics.
• The enhanced properties between porous and nonporous silica
nanoparticles, although identical in composition, are considerable,
with significant consequences for their implementation and
biocompatibility.
• Because of their biocompatibility and ease of manufacturing, which
allows surface modification, silica nanoparticles are the most
distinctive feature for drug administration.
• Mesoporous silica, for instance, has many empty pores, which allows
vast quantities of the active moiety to be enclosed.
• A porous variation, known as mesoporous silica nanoparticles or MSN,
adds features such as variable pore volume and size, resulting in a high
encapsulation efficiency.
• SiNPs and their derivatives can be a useful tool for delivering
antimicrobials to specific locations, thereby decreasing the impact of
high medication doses and associated adverse effects.
• There have been several positive studies of mesoporous silica
nanoparticles containing medicines for cancer treatment.
• MSN have gained popularity as a drug delivery method because of their
porous nature. This property enables them to hold a lot of medications
with low water solubility.
• By adding a targeted ligand to silica-based nanoparticles, they may be
directed to sick cells while reducing detrimental effects in normal tissue.
When silica nanoparticles are infused, they come into contact with
blood cells and proteinases.