Premium
Effect of Carbon Coating on the Physico‐chemical Properties and Toxicity of Copper and Nickel Nanoparticles
Author(s) -
Minocha Shalini,
Mumper Russell J.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.201200478
Subject(s) - copper , nickel , materials science , nanoparticle , coating , metallurgy , carbon fibers , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , composite material , composite number , engineering
The primary aim of these interdisciplinary studies is to investigate the effect of surface carbon coating on the physico‐chemical properties and toxicity of carbon‐coated and noncoated copper and nickel nanoparticles (C‐Cu, Cu, C‐Ni, Ni NPs) in A549 alveolar epithelial cells. Compared to Cu NPs, C‐Cu NPs exhibit protection against surface oxidation, tenfold higher cellular uptake, and fourfold lower release of soluble Cu. The toxicity of C‐Cu NPs and Cu NPs is associated with pronounced damage to mitochondrial function and plasma membrane integrity, respectively. Compared to Cu and C‐Cu NPs, Ni and C‐Ni NPs are less toxic. These studies demonstrate that correlations can be drawn between physico‐chemical properties and resultant toxicity of NPs as a function of surface carbon coating.