LAUSR

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and nanorods (AuNRs) find broad applications due to their unique optical and chemical properties. In biological applications, the contact of AuNPs/AuNRs with proteins is inevitable, resulting in the formation of a “protein corona”, protein–particle agglomerates, or particle precipitation. While nonspecific adsorption or particle precipitation should be avoided, controllable protein adsorption and agglomerate formation via surface modification find applications in protein immobilization and therapeutics. Therefore, it becomes essential to understand the influences of particle surfaces on protein adsorption. Recently, we found a “problematic” globular protein, T4 lysozyme (T4L), precipitating AuNPs [Neupane et al. J. Phys. Chem. C. 2017, 121, 1377−1386]. Herein, we systematically investigated the effects of surface modification on the adsorption of T4L. We found that both positively charged and neutral polymer coatings are effective in preventing such precipitation. In addition, f...