Gold nanoparticles have attracted considerable attention for their potential applications in biology and medicine. Yet despite the huge potential benefit of gold nanoparticles in the realm of biomedical and industrial applications, very little is known about potential deleterious effects of such nanomaterials on human and environmental health. Specifically, there is very little information on the interaction between gold nanoparticles and some special endogenous proteins or polypeptide in tissues or body fluids.

Recently, the researchers of the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences found that nitric oxide (NO)-release in blood serum initiated by gold nanoparticles has been prove to be a reaction between RSNO and the gold nanoparitcles. In this reaction the NO production was catalyzed on the surface of the nanoparticles, and a new bond of Au-thiolate was simultaneously formed. Some of the results were published in J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2009, 131, 40-41).

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 40-41