Increasing the limit of dispersion of metal-free phthalocyanine (H2Pc) in an aqueous mediumusing biosynthetic
gold nanoparticles for photodynamic therapy (PDT) is investigated. Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) are
biosynthesized in one step using Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) extract and are characterized by UV/VIS spectrophotometry,
Fourier transformer infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The
metal-free phthalocyanine is conjugated to the surface of the gold nanoparticles in a side to side regime through
the secondary amine groups of H2Pc. The clear violet solution of phthalocyanine-gold (Pc-Au) nanoconjugates is
investigated by UV–VIS, FTIR and TEMtechniques. Disappearance of the absorption band of the secondary amine
in the Pc-Au nanoconjugates compared to that of the parentH2Pc, and detection of the absorption band ofH2Pc in
the aqueous mediumconfirmed the dispersion of H2Pc and consequently the loading of H2Pc on the surface of Au
NPs. The cytotoxic effect of biosynthetic gold nanoparticles and Pc-Au nanoconjugates compared to chemically
synthesized gold nanoparticles on buffalo epithelial cells has been studied in vitro. Interestingly, the results
showed that the biosynthetic Au NPs as well as Pc-Au nanoconjugates have no effect on buffalo epithelial cells
viability, which indicating their biocompatibility contrary to the chemically synthesized Au NPs. This work will
open the door, for the first time, for using H2Pc suspended in water for PDT and other phototherapeutic
applications. |
