Preparation and characterization of chitosan-capped radioactive gold nanoparticles: neutron irradiation impact on structural properties

• Published in: Journal of the Iranian Chemical Society 2016-02, Vol.13 (2), p.339-345
• Main Authors: Aboudzadeh, Mohammad Reza, Moassesi, Mohammad Esmaeil, Amiri, Mojtaba, Shams, Hadi, Alirezapour, Behrooz, Sadeghi, Mehdi, Sari, Mehdi Fakhraei, Keyvani, Mehdi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analytical Chemistry; Biochemistry; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Inorganic Chemistry; Organic Chemistry; Original Paper; Physical Chemistry
• ISSN: 1735-207X; 1735-2428
• DOI: 10.1007/s13738-015-0742-5

Gold-198 nanoparticles ( 198 AuNPs) can be engineered with precise size, shape, composition, surface chemistry, radioactivity and radionuclide purity for clinical applications in nuclear medicine. In the present work, chitosan-capped AuNPs were prepared by exposing HAuCl 4 to acidic chitosan solution under appropriate conditions and then irradiated in Tehran Research Reactor (TRR). After that, UV–Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, SEM and DLS were used for irradiated and non-irradiated sample characterization. FTIR studies were performed for controlling radiation-induced degradation of AuNPs@chitosan. From these results, it is concluded that the chemical bonds and backbone structure of chitosan does not change after the irradiation in a neutron flux of 3 × 10 12  n cm −2 s −1 for 30 min. The SEM photograph clearly indicated that gold nanoparticles were spherical with an average size of ~62 and 63 nm before and after neutron irradiation, respectively. So, there was no significant difference in the size of irradiated and non-irradiated nanoparticles. 198 AuNPs@chitosan with high radionuclide purity produced using the epithermal neutron-capture reaction, 197 Au (n, γ) 198 Au, are especially useful for cancer treatment and imaging.