Gold nanostars coated with neutral and charged polyethylene glycols: A comparative study of in-vitro biocompatibility and of their interaction with SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells

Gold nanostars (GNS) have been coated with four different polyethylene glycols (PEGs) equipped with a –SH
function for grafting on the gold surface. These PEGs have different chain lengths with average MW = 2000,
3000, 5000 and average number of –O–CH2–CH2 — units 44, 66, and 111, respectively. Two are neutral and
two are terminated with –COOH and –NH2 functions, thus bearing negative and positive charges at physiological
pH, thanks to the formation of carboxylate and ammonium groups. The negative charge of the GNS coated with
PEG carboxylate has also been exploited to further coat the GNS with the PAH (polyallylamine hydrochloride)
cationic polymer. Vitality tests have been carried out on SH-SY5Y cells treated with the five differently coated
GNS for 4, 24, and 48 h, at Au concentrations ranging from1.25 to 100 μg/mL. The same tests have been repeated
with the pure PEGs and PAH. Excellent biocompatibility was found for all PEGs, independently on charge and
chain length, both for coated GNS and for the pure polymers. On the contrary, poor biocompatibility was found
for PAH overcoated GNS and for pure PAH, although the latter only at high concentrations. Exploiting the twophoton
luminescence of GNS, we have found by confocal laser scanning microscopy that when GNS are coated
with PEGs they do not enter SH-SY5Y cells, while when overcoated with PAH they massively penetrate into
the cytoplasm. This causes cell death by dramatically changing cell morphology, as demonstrated also by atomic
force microscopy