Gold nanoparticles: New routes across old boundaries

• Published in: Advances in colloid and interface science 2019-12, Vol.274, p.102037-102037, Article 102037
• Main Authors: Kumari, Yogita, Kaur, Gurmandeep, Kumar, Rajesh, Singh, Sachin Kumar, Gulati, Monica, Khursheed, Rubiya, Clarisse, Ayinkamiye, Gowthamarajan, K., Karri, V.V.S. Narayana Reddy, Mahalingam, Ravichandran, Ghosh, Dipanjoy, Awasthi, Ankit, Kumar, Rajan, Yadav, Ankit Kumar, Kapoor, Bhupinder, Singh, Pankaj Kumar, Dua, Kamal, Porwal, Omji
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Characterization; Gold nanoparticles; Green synthesis; Theranostics; Turkevich method
• ISSN: 0001-8686; 1873-3727
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2019.102037

In recent years, gold nanoparticles have emerged as unique non-invasive drug carriers for targeting drugs to their site of action. Their site specificity has helped in increasing drugs' efficacy at lower dose as well as reduction in their side effects. Moreover, their excellent optical properties and small size offer their utilization as diagnostic tools to diagnose tumors as well as other diseases. This review focuses on various approaches that have been used in last several years for preparation of gold nanoparticles, their characterization techniques and theranostic applications. Their toxicity related aspects are also highlighted. Gold nanoparticles are useful as theranostic agents, owing to their small size, biocompatible nature, size dependent physical, chemical and optical properties etc. However, the challenges associated with these nanoparticles such as scale up, cost, low drug payload, toxicity and stability have been the major impediments in their commercialization. The review looks into all these critical issues and identifies the possibilities to overcome these challenges for successful positioning of metallic nanoparticles in market. [Display omitted] •Turkevich, Brust-Schiffrin, seeded growth, sonochemical and green methods are mainly used to prepare AuNPs.•UV–Visible, NMR and mass spectroscopy are used for chemical characterization of AuNPs•Dynamic light scattering, TEM and AFM and X-ray diffraction studies are used for physical characterization.•Optical and physio-chemical properties of AuNPs offer their application in targeted therapies and imaging.•Toxicity of nanoparticles depends upon their size, shape and capping ligand.