Context:
Experts recently said that Gold nanoparticles used in medicines and beauty products may not only protect the skin from external infestations but can also help arrest the effects of ageing.
Relevance:
GS III: Science and Technology
Gold Nanoparticles (AuNPs):
- Gold nanoparticles are small gold particles with diameters ranging from 1 to 100 nm. When dispersed in water, they are known as colloidal gold and are sometimes referred to as ‘gold bhasma.’
Properties:
- Attributes:
- Spherical AuNPs possess beneficial attributes such as size- and shape-related optoelectronic properties, a large surface-to-volume ratio, excellent biocompatibility, and low toxicity.
- Physical Properties:
- Key physical properties include surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and the ability to quench fluorescence.
- Color Variations:
- Spherical AuNPs exhibit various colors (brown, orange, red, purple) in aqueous solutions as the core size increases from 1 to 100 nm.
- Safety Characteristics:
- Not toxic, phototoxic, genotoxic, non-irritant, and non-sensitizing.
Applications:
- Electronics:
- Designed for use as conductors, from printable inks to electronic chips. Nanoscale gold nanoparticles are employed to connect resistors, conductors, and other electronic chip elements.
- Photodynamic Therapy:
- Near-IR absorbing gold nanoparticles generate heat when excited by light (700 to 800 nm), enabling the eradication of targeted tumors.
- Therapeutic Agent Delivery:
- Coating therapeutic agents onto the surface of gold nanoparticles is possible due to their large surface area-to-volume ratio.
- Sensors:
- Utilized in various sensors, such as colorimetric sensors based on gold nanoparticles that can identify the suitability of foods for consumption.
- Diagnostics:
- Used in the detection of biomarkers for the diagnosis of heart diseases, cancers, and infectious agents.
-Source: The Hindu
