NU 2011-044
Inventors
Kvar Black
Phillip B Messersmith*
Jose Rivera
Ji Yi
Abstract
Northwestern researchers have developed a catechol redox-based strategy to induce spontaneous in situ formation of polymer-coated gold and silver nanoparticles from mixtures of a DOPA-containing polymer and noble metal salts. In this biomimetic strategy, the catechol side chain of DOPA serves multiple roles: (1) a reducing agent for metal ions; (2) an anchoring chemistry for multivalent binding of the polymer onto the nanoparticle surface; and (3) a chemical precursor for cross-linking of the polymer shell. The resulting core‚àíshell nanoparticles exhibit plasmon resonance behavior characteristic of noble metal nanoparticles and are stable toward aggregation in ionic aqueous media. This biomimetic strategy may be used to produce surface-derivatized metal nanoparticles for either diagnostic or therapeutic applications.
Applications
Advantages
Publications
Black K, Liu Z and Messersmith PB (2011) Spontaneous Metal Nanoparticle Formation by Redox Reaction of Metal Salts and a Catechol Polymer. Chemistry of Materials. 23: 1130–1135.
IP Status
Issued US Patent Nos. 8,784,895; 9,320,719; and 10,016,499