Biodistribution and toxicity of engineered gold nanoparticles: a review of in vitro and in vivo studies

Recent advances in wet chemical synthesis and biomolecular functionalization of gold nanoparticles have led to a dramatic expansion of their potential biomedical applications, including biosensorics, bioimaging, photothermal therapy, and targeted drug delivery. As the range of gold nanoparticle types and their applications continues to increase, human safety concerns are gaining attention, which makes it necessary to better understand the potential toxicity hazards of these novel materials. Whereas about 80 reports on the in vivo biodistribution and in vitro cell toxicity of gold nanoparticles are available in the literature, there is lack of correlation between both fields and there is no clear understanding of intrinsic nanoparticle effects. At present, the major obstacle is the significant discrepancy in experimental conditions under which biodistribution and toxicity effects have been evaluated. This critical review presents a detailed analysis of data on the in vitro and in vivo biodistribution and toxicity of most popular gold nanoparticles, including atomic clusters and colloidal particles of diameters from 1 to 200 nm, gold nanoshells, nanorods, and nanowires. Emphasis is placed on the systematization of data over particle types and parameters, particle surface functionalization, animal and cell models, organs examined, doses applied, the type of particle administration and the time of examination, assays for evaluating gold particle toxicity, and methods for determining the gold concentration in organs and distribution of particles over cells. On the basis of a critical analysis of data, we arrive at some general conclusions on key nanoparticle parameters, methods of particle surface modification, and doses administered that determine the type and kinetics of biodistribution and toxicity at cellular and organismal levels (197 references).     

Anomeric effect in N-azidomethylpyrrolidine: gas-phase electron diffraction and theoretical study

Gas-phase electron-diffraction data and high-level quantum chemical calculations have been used to study the conformational behaviour of N-azidomethylpyrrolidine. The two most stable conformers with a relative abundance of about 80% at 298 K possess gauche orientation of the azidomethyl group around the C-N(pyr) bond (C-N(azido)gauche with respect to the endocyclic N(pyr)-C bond). This orientation is a strong manifestation of an anomeric effect. The influence of the anomeric effect is also reflected in shortening of the C-N(pyr) bond and lengthening of the C-N(azido) bond as compared to such bonds in other compounds.     

Space-charge effects with mass-selective axial ejection from a linear quadrupole ion trap

Methods to reduce mass shifts caused by space charge with mass‐selective axial ejection from a linear quadrupole ion trap are investigated. For axial ejection, dipole excitation is applied to excite ions at q ≈ 0.85. The trapping radiofrequency (rf) voltage is scanned to bring ions of different m/z values into resonance for excitation. In the fringing field at the quadrupole exit, excited ions gain axial kinetic energy, overcoming the trapping potential, and are ejected from the trap. Space charge causes the frequencies of ion oscillation to decrease. Thus, greater rf voltages are required to bring ions into resonance for excitation and ejection, and the ions shift to higher apparent masses in a mass spectrum. At the same time, the peaks broaden, lowering resolution. The effects of injection q value, ejection q value, excitation amplitude, quadrupole dc voltages applied to the electrodes, applying an rf voltage to the exit lens, and scan speed, on mass shifts have been studied experimentally. Most experiments were done with only ions of protonated reserpine (m/z 609.3 and its isotopic peaks) in the trap. Some experiments were done with ions of protonated reserpine and ions of m/z 622 in the trap. In general, the mass shifts are reduced with higher ejection q values, higher excitation amplitudes, with quadrupole dc applied, and at higher scan speeds. The application of quadrupole dc appears to increase the ion cloud temperature, which lowers mass shifts. Thus, a proper choice of operating conditions can reduce, but not eliminate, mass shifts caused by space charge. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ab initio Study of the Keto-Enol Equilibriumof Malonaldehyde

 The mechanism of the keto-enol tautomerism of malonaldehyde was studied by ab initio methods using 6-21G^** and 6-311G^** basis functions at the HF level. Two separate mechanisms were examined: through-space proton transfer in the ω-shaped form and through-space proton transfer in a sickle-shaped form obtained from the ω form by rotation. The transition state structure of the ω form is non-planar, whereas that of the sickle form is planar. The sickle form is connected with a 2^nd order saddle, indicating that there should exist a lower energy barrier, i.e. that the through-bond mechanism may be preferred. The calculated energy barriers of keto-enol tautomerism for the sickle form is twice as high as those for the omega form.     

Free volume properties of a linear soft polymer: a computer simulation study

Molecular dynamics simulation of a linear soft polymer has been performed and the free volume properties of the system have been analyzed in detail in terms of the Voronoi polyhedra of the monomers. It is found that there are only small density fluctuations present in the system. The local environment of the monomers is found to be rather spherical, even in comparison with liquids of atoms or small molecules. The monomers are found to be, on average, eight coordinated by their nearest geometric neighbors, including intra-chain and inter-chain ones. The packing of the monomers is found to be rather compact, in a configuration of 1900 monomers there are, on average, only three voids large enough to incorporate a spherical particle as large as a monomer, indicating that the density of the large vacancies in the system is considerably, i.e., by a few orders of magnitude lower than in molecular liquids corresponding to roughly the same reduced densities.     

Synthesis of 4- and 6-substituted nitroindoles

Enolizable ketones react with m-nitroaniline in the presence of strong base such as t-BuOK to give 4- and 6-substituted nitroindoles. The reaction proceeds via oxidative nucleophilic substitution of hydrogen in m-nitroaniline with enolate anions in positions ortho to the amino group giving anionic σ^H adducts that are additionally stabilized by intramolecular interaction between the amino and the carbonyl group. Spontaneous oxidation of the σ^H adducts followed by the Bayer type condensation of the produced ortho-aminonitrobenzyl ketones gives 4- and 6-substituted nitroindoles. The scope of this reaction and its basic mechanistic features are discussed.     

Some Aspects of the Implementation of Scaling Quantum Mechanical Molecular Force Fields

Some features of software implementation of the Pulay scaling procedure are considered. The advantages of the single value decomposition method for maintaining well-conditionality of the scale factor determination problem are demonstrated. The necessity of using a rational number of scale factors is shown. The possibility of obtaining transferable scale factors with the Pulay method and thus predict the vibrational spectra of related compounds is emphasized.     

Flow-injection analysis with a small cylindrical wire type electrode

An amperometric detector with a small thin mercury film electrode is described. The device demonstrates advantageous operational characteristics such as small dispersion (D<2) and “memory effect” (me<0.6%), extensive maximum sample frequency (msf −200 samples/h), and high sensitivity. It has been proven useful in flow-injection analysis at a constant potential under hydrodynamic conditions.     

A hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene cyclophane: an addition to the toolbox for molecular electronics

Cyclophanes with the largest-to-date polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene, HBC) to be entrained in such a structural motif are reported. The two disks are covalently captured by intermolecular ring-closing olefin metathesis of dienes in good yield. DSC, optical microscopy, and WAXD show the new cyclophanes to self-assemble to thermotropic columnar liquid crystal mesophases similar to monomeric analogues. Solution spectroscopic studies reveal that the two disks within a single unit lie face-to-face, with a small average lateral offset. Self-assembly into two-dimensional crystals at a solid-liquid interface was visualized by STM, and the electrical properties of single molecules were assessed by scanning tunneling spectroscopy revealing a diode-like behavior which is similar to that previously reported for single HBC disks, laying the groundwork for future electrical interrogations of dynamic molecular complexes.