Curtis F. Crasto

Biomedical Applications of Gold Nanoparticles Functionalized Using Hetero-Bifunctional Poly(ethylene glycol) Spacer

To increase the targeting potential, circulation time, and the flexibility of surface-attached biomedically-relevant ligands on gold nanoparticles, hetero-bifunctional poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG, MW 1,500) was synthesized having a thiol group on one terminus and a reactive functional group on the other. Coumarin, a model fluorescent dye, was conjugated to the PEG spacer and gold nanoparticles were modified with coumarin-PEG-thiol. Surface attachment of coumarin through the PEG spacer decreases the fluorescence quenching effect of gold nanoparticles. The results of cellular cytotoxicity and fluorescence confocal analyses showed that the PEG spacer modified nanoparticles were essentially non-toxic and could be efficiently internalized in the cells within one hour of incubation.

A new method for the synthesis of nitriles from amides under non-acidic conditions

Abstract Aryl carboxamides and other electron rich amides were converted to the respective nitriles in good yields by treatment with Ag 2 O and C 2 H 5 I in benzene at reflux.