Structure, Synthesis, and Modification of AuNPs in PTT Application

Jiacheng Su

doi:10.54097/mtc33788

Authors

Jiacheng Su

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54097/mtc33788

Keywords:

PTT; AuNPs structure; AuNPs synthesis methods; AuNPs surface modification.

Abstract

In the 21st century, cancer has caused serious harm to society, and traditional cancer therapies have non-negligible shortcomings. Emerging photothermal therapy (PTT), with advantages of targeting, high efficiency, and low toxicity, is expected to make up for the shortcomings of previous cancer treatments, and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), due to their localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), are the principal photothermal agents for PTT. This paper reviews relevant review articles and research papers from roughly the past decade on AuNPs applied to PTT, extracts the main structures, synthesis methods, and surface modifications of AuNPs, and provides a summary and analysis. At present, the structures adopted for AuNPs mainly include four types: rods, shells, cages, and stars; the main synthesis methods include sodium citrate reduction, the biphasic method, seed-mediated growth, and seedless growth; and surface modifications can be categorized into four types: surface anchoring, hydrophilic coating, functionalization, and biological ligands. For AuNPs to further promote the clinical development of PTT, it remains necessary to study more diversified structures, more scalable synthesis methods, and surface modifications that can reduce their toxicity while providing additional functions.

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