Gold Nanoparticle-Biological Molecule Interactions and Catalysis

This review gives a brief summary of the field of gold nanoparticle interactions with biological molecules, particularly those with possible catalytic relevance. Gold nanoparticles are well known as catalysts in organic chemistry but much is unknown regarding their potential as catalysts of reactions involving biological molecules such as protein and nucleic acids. Biological molecules may be the substrate for catalysis or, if they are the ligand coating the gold particle, may be the catalyst itself. In other cases biological molecules may form a template upon which gold nanoparticles can be precisely arrayed. As relatively little is currently known about the catalytic capabilities of gold nanoparticles in this area, this review will consider templating in general (including, but not restricted to, those which result in structures having potential as catalysts) before going on to consider firstly catalysis by the gold nanoparticle itself followed by catalysis by ligands attached to gold nanoparticles, all considered with a focus on biological molecules.