[Todos] Seminario: Nanoparticle Research

[gabriel en qi.fcen.uba.ar]

Seminarios DQIAQF - INQUIMAE

Viernes 25 de septiembre de 2009, 11 hs
Aula Seminarios INQUIMAE 3°piso.

Mathias Brust
Department of Chemistry
University of Liverpool

Tema:
New Results from Metal Nanoparticle Research:
1. Metal-Nanoparticle-Loaded Hydrogels.
2. Gold Nanoparticles as Intracellular Agents.

Summary:
In the first part of my talk I will introduce the preparation,
characterisation and properties of metal nanoparticles, mainly Au and Ag,
in an agarose hydrogel matrix. This is followed by a discussion of one of
the most promising applications of these new materials, i.e. their use as
substrates for Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS). It is shown
that SERS spectra can be obtained even of molecules that do not adsorb to
the metal nanoparticles in the gel and that the enhancement is due to the
reversible shrinkage of the gel upon dehydration leading to the new
concept of dynamic “hot spots”.  In the second part I will present our
recent results on cellular uptake of gold nanoparticles by human
fibroblasts (HeLa cells) and their subsequent intracellular fate. In
particular, the use of lasers to cause localised photochemical damage to
the interior of the cell is discussed.