Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Polyethyleneimine Shell Nucleic Acid Nanostructures From Gold Nanoparticle Template For Chemotherapeutic Drug Delivery, Brendan Guy Rucci

Theses and Dissertations

The next generation of anticancer agents will emerge from rationally designed nanostructured materials. This work involved the synthesis and characterization of novel hollow DNA-conjugated gold nanoparticles (DNA-AuNPs) for controlled drug delivery. Polyethyleneimine (PEI) was bound to citrate-capped AuNPs, forming polymer-shell nanoparticles. Dissolution of the gold core via iodine formed hollow core polymeric nanoparticles (HCPPs) and a high density of DNA (85 molecules/particle) containing daunorubicin was conjugated. Particles were spherical with an average diameter of 105.7±17.3 nm and zeta potential of 20.4±3.54 mV. We hypothesize the DNA backbone electrostatically condensed to the primary amines on the surface of the particle toroidally, …