Gold nanoparticle dimers for SERS-based targeted detection of human glioblastoma cells

Gold nanospheres are linked by a Raman active dithiolated linker molecule forming dimer and trimer assemblies. These nanoparticles are capped with polyethylene glycol for stability and functionalized with peptides for glioblastoma cell targeting and penetration. Results show stability in vitro and cellular uptake of the nanoparticles. After endocytosis, a surface enhanced Raman scattering signal from the nanoparticles can be detected from inside the cells. Such a nanoparticle systems sets the ground work for developing versatile Raman-based tools designed for a range of biomedical applications.M.S.Includes bibliographical referencesby Bryan Paladin