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Monday, 4th September 2006 (6338 views)

Scientists have discovered that gold nanoparticles make efficient "handles" for biological molecules being tracked by lasers.

Physicists at the JILA institution in Boulder, USA, found that gold particles measuring a tiny 100-nanometres across could be substituted for polystyrene particles in laser-based experiments to study nanoscale mechanics.

It was found that gold nanoparticles can be trapped and detected six times more easily than polystyrene pieces, increasing efficiency in experiments.

However, it was also noted that because of its metallic nature, the gold particles heat up astonishingly quickly (by 266C per watt of laser power), meaning that they would not be useful in heat-sensitive experiments.

The rapid heating could allow scientists to increase localised temperatures in some trials, however.

Nanogold has several technical applications, with other uses including coating bacteria for use in electronic wiring.

 

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