Ricerc@Sapienza

Gold nanoparticles, capped by 3-mercapto propane sulfonate (Au-3MPS), were synthesized inside a swollen sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) membrane (SPEEK). The formation of the Au-3MPS nanoparticles in the swollen sPEEK membrane was observed by spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The nanocomposite containing the gold nanoparticles grown in the sPEEK membrane, showed the plasmon resonance ?max at about 520 nm, which remained stable over a testing period of three months.

Medicine, food, and cosmetics represent the new promising applications for silver (Ag) and gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs). AgNPs are most commonly used in food and cosmetics; conversely, the main applications of gold NPs (AuNPs) are in the medical field. Thus, in view of the risk of accidentally or non-intended uptake of NPs deriving from the use of cosmetics, drugs, and food, the study of NPs-cell interactions represents a key question that puzzles researchers in both the nanomedicine and nanotoxicology fields.

Effects of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) on freshwater species have been reported in several studies, but there is not information on the potential long-term consequences of a previous exposure. In this work, we investigated the long-term effects of maltose-coated Ag NPs (20 nm) and of ionic silver (10 μg/L) after 21 days of exposure and at 6 months post-exposure (mpe) in adult zebrafish. Exposure resulted in significant silver accumulation in the whole body of fish exposed to ionic silver, but not in those exposed to Ag NPs.