<p><b>The
rapid development of nanomaterials has led to an increase in the number and
variety of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in the environment. Gold
nanoparticles (AuNPs) are an example of a commonly studied ENM whose highly
tailorable properties have generated significant interest through a wide range
of research fields. In the present work, we report the first qualitative as
well as quantitative experimental characterisation of the AuNP-membrane
interaction. We investigate the interactions between citrate-stabilised AuNPs (diameters
5, 10, 25, 35, 50, 60 nm) and large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) acting as a
model membrane system. LUVs were prepared in two different formulations using
1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) and
1,2-dileoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC). Our results show that the
interaction between AuNPs and LUVs is size dependent; in particular, we reveal
the existence of two AuNP’s critical diameters which determine the fate of
AuNPs in contact with a lipid membrane. The results provide a new understanding
of the size dependent interaction between AuNPs and lipid bilayers of direct
relevance to nanotoxicology and to the design of NP vectors.</b></p>
Effect of Particle Diameter and Surface Composition on the Spontaneous Fusion of Monolayer-Protected Gold Nanoparticles with Lipid Bilayers
