Effect of the Solvent Nature on the Biological Activity of Gold-Containing Systems

Gold nanoparticles were prepared by metal vapor synthesis using isopropyl alcohol, acetone, and toluene as dispersion media. The electronic states of the metal and the nature of the adsorbed layer on the nanoparticle surface were investigated. Analysis of the photoelectron spectra of the obtained nanoparticles showed that regardless of the synthesis conditions, gold occurs in the Au0, Au+, and Au3+ states in all samples, and a carbon-containing shell is present on all types of metal particles. A study of the anticancer activity of nanoparticles in vitro using human cell lines revealed a dependence of the biological activity on the exposure time for samples obtained in a toluene dispersion medium. The metabolic activity of cancer cells treated with gold nanoparticles formed in isopropyl alcohol or acetone dropped in the very beginning of testing.