Dental Gold Alloys and Gold Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications (SpringerBriefs in Materials)

This book focuses on recent advances in dental gold alloys and gold nanoparticles (GNPs) for biomedical applications. Dental gold alloys combine several highly desirable mechanical properties, such as high strength, ductility, and elasticity, with an extremely robust chemical stability in the mouth. Moreover, astonishing progress has been made in the use of GNPs as novel gold biomaterials that provide a multifunctional platform for cellular imaging, biosensing, and targeted drug delivery in tumour immunotherapy and photothermal therapy. Beginning with a comprehensive overview of the development and use of dental gold alloys, the book addresses the materials properties that are crucial for dental applications, focusing on aspects such as microstructure, chemical and mechanical stability, ageing, biocompatibility, and colour retention. The book then shifts focus to the use of GNPs in dental applications, delving into different techniques of GNP synthesis for specifically tailoring the size, shape, and stability of GNPs in biological media. In addition to these factors, it addresses how their exposure route, surface chemistry, as well as how the steric effects of their coating impact biodistribution and determine the level of GNP toxicity in the human body. Featuring topical literature reviews alongside up-to-date published experimental results, this book offers an attractive resource for practicing scientists and engineers working in the field of gold-based biomaterials. Preface 6 Contents 7 About the Authors 9 1 Introduction 12 1.1 Basic Properties of Gold 12 1.2 Aspects of Gold Nanoparticles 16 References 20 2 Dental Gold Alloys 23 2.1 Classification and Selection 23 2.2 Examples of Expertise 37 2.2.1 Mechanical Properties of DGAs in Terms of Tensile Testing and Hardness 37 2.2.2 Thermocycling 46 2.2.3 Microstructure, Microhardness and Colour Comparison of Two Gold Dental Alloys 50 2.2.4 Corrosion Resistance of DGAs 54 2.2.5 The Influence of Microstructures on the Corrosion and Biocompatibility in Vitro (An Example of High Noble Au-Pt Dental Alloys) [48] 57 References 60 3 Gold Nanoparticles 62 3.1 Gold Nanoparticles’ Characteristics and Possibilities of Use 62 3.1.1 Optical Properties and Surface Plasmon Resonance 62 3.1.2 Sizes and Shapes of GNPs 64 3.1.3 Stability, Nanoparticle Surfaces and Functionalisation 65 3.1.4 Characterisation of GNPs 68 3.2 GNP Current and Potential Applications 69 3.2.1 Catalysis 70 3.2.2 Electronics 70 3.2.3 Sensors 71 3.2.4 Biomedical 72 3.2.5 Cosmetics and Optics 73 3.2.6 Microscopy 73 3.3 Synthesis Techniques 74 3.3.1 Top-Down Approaches 77 3.3.2 Bottom-Up Approaches 79 3.3.3 Aerosol-Based Synthesis Methods 82 3.3.4 Biological-Based Synthesis Methods/Green Methods 86 3.4 GNPs’ Biocompatibility and Impact on Human Health 89 3.5 The Current State and Development of Gold Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications 92 3.5.1 Development of GNPs for Dental Applications 94 3.6 Hybrid Gold Nanoparticles with Particles of Other Materials 94 3.6.1 Core–Shell Bimetallic GNPs 96 3.6.2 Iron Oxide-GNPs 97 3.6.3 Hybrid GNPs with Other Noble Metals 99 3.6.4 Silica Coated GNPs 102 3.7 Synthesis of GNPs through Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis and the Lyophilisation Process [51] 102 References 105