• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.465-469
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• 2004

Colloidal gold nanoparticles might be of use as nano scale delivery systems of various therapeutic materials in the future. Recent studies have reported the feasibility of colloidal gold nanoparticles as gene delivery systems or protein delivery systems. In this study, we aimed to develop a short-step method useful for screening the optimal coating conditions of colloidal gold nanoparticles with proteins. We observed that colloidal gold nanoparticles have properties of changing its unique color when they were exposed to NaCl solution. Taking advantage of the color changing properties of colloidal gold nanoparticles, we applied the color testing method of colloidal gold nanoparticles solutions for evaluating the protein coating nature. Using bovine serum albumin as a model protein, we tested the protein coating of colloidal gold nanoparticles via the color change upon NaCl addition. The optimal coating concentration and coating conditions of colloidal gold nanoparticles with bovine serum albumin were fixed using the color testing methods. We suggest that the color testing method might be applied to optimize the coating condition of colloidal gold nanoparticles with other therapeutic proteins.

• Proceedings of the Korean Ceranic Society Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.226.1-226
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• 2003

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.19-23
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• 1998

We enhanced the sensitivity of surface plasmon resonance biosensor by the conversion of the real-time direct binding immunoassay into the sandwich immunoassay, in which colloidal gold particles coated with anti-mouse IgG was used. By the immobilization of anti-mouse IgG onto the carboxymethyl dextran surface of thin gold film, the direct binding of analyte(mouse IgG) onto the sensor chip, and the injection of colloidal gold particles coated with anti-mouse IgG, about 100 times of sensitivity enhancement was obtained. This result suggests that nanoparticles, which has a high refractive index, homogeneous ultrafine structure and capability of size control, would be applicable for the detection of very small quantity of biomaterial.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.188-196
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• 2013

We have investigated the effects of formalin on the assembly of colloidal gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) prepared by laser ablation of a solid gold target in deionized water. Upon addition of formalin, the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band at 519 nm for pure AuNPs decreases and shifts to red while a new broad SPR band appears at ~700 nm. The red-shift is prominent with increase in the incubation time. The average size of the initial AuNPs is around 12 nm but it increases to 23 nm after addition of formalin. It turns out that formalin acts as a cationic surfactant for AuNPs with negative surface charge in the colloidal solutions. Furthermore, through analysis of the Raman spectrum of formalin and the density functional theory calculations, we confirm that methanediol is the main species in formalin which is in charge of the aggregation of AuNPs.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.85-88
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• 2009

This report demonstrates the immobilization of uniformly sized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on UV cross-linked poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) polymer thin films and the preparation of micropatterned structures of AuNPs on these films. The polymer thin films were prepared by a spin-coating of P4VP onto a cleaned silicon wafer surface. Upon UV irradiation, these films were then photo cross-linked. Gold nanoparticles were immobilized by immersing the polymer surface in a colloidal solution of gold nanoparticles stabilized by citric acid. The morphology of the films and the immobilization of AuNPs were studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and UV-visible spectroscopic techniques. The micropatterned gold structures that were produced on the polymer surface are delineated by combining with the photolithographic method. While untreated and simply spin coated films were physisorbed and unstable that could be easily removed by rinsing with a solvent, the cross-linked and AuNPs immobilized P4VP films were found to be highly stable even after repeated solvent extractions.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.1668-1674
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• 2016

Red ginseng, a steamed and sun-dried ginseng, is a popular health-promoting food in Korea and other Asian countries. We introduced nanofertilizer technology using gold nanoparticles in an effort to develop red ginseng with an elevated level of ginsenosides, the main active compounds of ginseng. Shoots of 6-year-old ginseng plants were fertilized three times with colloidal gold nanoparticle sprays. Red ginseng extract was prepared from the main roots. The concentrations of gold and ginsenosides were measured following gold nanoparticle treatment. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects, mouse peritoneal macrophages of male BALB/c mouse were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide plus interferon-γ in the presence of extracts from red ginseng with or without gold nanoparticle treatment. The content of ginsenosides, such as Rg1, Re, Rf, and Rb1, increased in ginseng treated with gold nanofertilizer whereas the steaming process increased only the levels of Rd and Rg3. The levels of nitric oxide, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and interleukin-6, but not tumor necrosis factor-α, were more suppressed in macrophages treated with extract from gold nanoparticle-treated red ginseng. Our results show that the use of a colloidal gold nanoparticle fertilizer improved the synthesis of ginsenosides in ginseng and enhanced the anti-inflammatory effects of red ginseng. Further research is required to elucidate the causal factors for the gold-induced change in ginsenoside synthesis and to determine the in vivo effect of gold nanoparticle-treated ginseng.

• Clean Technology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.251-256
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• 2020

The biocompatibility and plasmonic properties of Au nanoparticles make them useful for photothermal therapy, drug delivery, imaging, and many other fields. This study demonstrated a novel, facile, economic, and green synthetic method to produce gold nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with spherical and triangular shapes were effectively synthesized using only Schisandra chenesis fruit extract as the capping and reducing agent. The shape of the AuNPs could be engineered simply by adjusting the molar concentration of HAuCl4 in the reaction mixture. The as-synthesized AuNPs were characterized using UV-VIS spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA). This study revealed that by using the HAuCl4 concentration in the AuNP synthesis, the shape and size of the AuNPs could be controlled by the concentration of HAuCl4 and Schisandra chinensis fruit extract as a surfactant. The as-synthesized AuNPs samples had sufficient colloidal stability without noticeable aggregation and showed the predominant growth of the (111) plane of face-centered cubic gold during the crystal growth. The catalytic efficiency of the AuNPs synthesized using Schisandra chenesis fruit extract was examined by monitoring the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol using Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis spectroscopy). The synthesized AuNPs showed good catalytic activity to reduce 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol, revealing their practical usefulness.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.235-243
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• 2008

A compact soft x-ray microscope operated in the 'water window' wavelength region ($2.3{\sim}4.4nm$) was used for observing cells with nano-scale spatial resolution. To obtain cellular imaging captured with colloidal gold nanoparticles using a compact soft x-ray microscope. The colloidal gold nanoparticles showed higher contrast and lower transmission more than 7 times than that of cellular protein on the soft x-ray wavelength region. The structure and thickness of the cell membrane of the Coscinodiscus oculoides (diatome) and red blood cells were seen clearly. The gold nanoparticles within the HT1080 and MDA-MB 231 cells were seen clearly on the soft x-ray microscopy. The gold nanoparticles were aggregated within vesicles by endocytosis.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.4281-4285
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• 2011

We introduced a promising patterned substrate by using a microcontact printing method that can be used for SERS immunoassays based on antigen-antibody binding. SERS spectrum of the Raman reporter with antibody, which is rhodamine 6G (R6G) adsorbed on colloidal gold nanoparticles, was observed only for the surfaces in which prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is present on the substrate that is attached to an immobilized layer of antibody on the gold nanoparticles layer of the patterned substrate. Raman mapping images clearly showed that the antibodies on the Raman reporter were successfully and selectively conjugated with the antigen on the patterned substrate. This method could be potentially extended to multi-protein detections and ultrasensitive biosensors.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.525-531
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• 2011

Two dimensional (2D) arrays of noble metal nanoparticles are widely used in the sensing of nanoscale biological and chemical events. Research in this area has sparked considerable interest in many fields owing to the novel optical properties, e.g., the localized surface plasmon resonance, of these metallic nanoarrays. In this paper, we report successes in fabricating 2D arrays of gold nano-islands using nanosphere lithography. The reproducibility and the effectiveness of the nano-patterning method are tested by means of spin coating and capillary force deposition. We found that the capillary force deposition method was more effective for nanospheres with diameters greater than 600 nm, whereas the spin coating method works better for nanospheres with diameters less than 600 nm. The optimal deposition parameters for both methods were reported, showing about 80% reproducibility. In addition, we characterize gold nano-island arrays both geometrically with AFM as well as optically with UV-VIS spectrometry. The AFM images revealed that the obtained nano-arrays formed a hexagonal pattern of truncated tetrahedron nano-islands. The experimental and theoretical values of the geometric parameters were compared. The 2D gold nano-arrays showed strong LSPR in the absorption spectra. As the nano-islands increased in size, the LSPR absorption bands became red-shifted. Linear dependence of the plasmon absorption maximum on the size of the gold nano-islands was identified through the increment in the plasmon absorption maximum rate for a one nanometer increase in the characteristic length of the nano-islands. We found that the 2D gold nano-arrays showed nearly seven-fold higher sensitivity of the absorption spectrum to the size of the nano-islands as compared to colloidal gold nano-particles.