Polymer@gold Nanoparticles Prepared via RAFT Polymerization for Opto-Biodetection

abstract

Colloidal gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) have been used in several biological applications, which include the exploitation of size- and shape-dependent Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) in biosensing devices. In order to obtain functional and stable Au NPs in a physiological medium, surface modification and functionalization are crucial steps in these endeavors. Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization meets this need offering the possibility of control over the composition and architecture of polymeric shells coating Au NPs. Furthermore, playing with a careful choice of monomers, RAFT polymerization allows the possibility to design a polymer shell with the desired functional groups aiming at Au based nanocomposites suitable for biorecognition and biotargeting. This review provides important aspects concerning the synthesis and optical properties of Au NPs as well as concepts of RAFT polymerization. Understanding these concepts is crucial to appreciate the chemical strategies available towards RAFT-polymer coated Au core-shell nanostructures, which are here reviewed. Finally, examples of applications in opto-biodetection devices are provided and the potential of responsive "smart" nanomaterials based on such structures can be applied to other biological applications.

keywords

FRAGMENTATION CHAIN-TRANSFER; FUNCTIONAL CORE/SHELL NANOPARTICLES; MEDIATED EMULSION POLYMERIZATION; TUNING THERMORESPONSIVE BEHAVIOR; LIVING RADICAL POLYMERIZATION; WATER-SOLUBLE (CO)POLYMERS; BLOCK-COPOLYMERS; METAL NANOPARTICLES; DIBLOCK COPOLYMERS; COLLOIDAL GOLD

subject category

Polymer Science

authors

Pereira, SO; Barros-Timmons, A; Trindade, T

our authors

acknowledgements

This work was developed within the scope of the project CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007679 (FCT Ref. UID/CTM/50011/2013), financed by national funds through the FCT/MEC and when appropriate co-financed by FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement. Sonia O. Pereira thanks FCT for her PhD grant SFRH/BD/80156/2011.

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