  Bio-conjugated nanomaterials play a promising role in the development of
novel supramolecular structures, molecular machines, and biosensing devices. In
this study, lipid-conjugated gold nanoparticles were synthesized and allowed to
form a self-assembled monolayer structure. The nanoparticles were prepared by a
phase transfer method, which involved the reduction of potassium
tetrachloroaurate (III) by sodium citrate in an aqueous solution and the
simultaneous transfer of the reduced species to an organic medium containing
DMPC (1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine). The gold nanoparticles were
characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS)
particle-size analysis. In addition, the resulting nanoparticles were examined
using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The Langmuir-Blodgett (LB)
technique was used to assemble the DMPC-capped nanoparticles onto a water
subphase at room temperature. The measurement of the compression isotherm
confirmed the assemblage of lipid capped gold nanoparticles. This method of
synthesis of ordered structures utilizing molecular interactions of lipids will
be useful in developing novel metamaterials and nanocircuits.
