Gold nanoparticles with patterned surface monolayers for nanomedicine: current perspectives

Molecular self-assembly is a topic attracting intense scientific interest. Various strategies have been developed for construction of molecular aggregates with rationally designed properties, geometries, and dimensions that promise to provide solutions to both theoretical and practical problems in areas such as drug delivery, medical diagnostics, and biosensors, to name but a few. In this respect, gold nanoparticles covered with self-assembled monolayers presenting nanoscale surface patterns—typically patched, striped or Janus-like domains—represent an emerging field. These systems are particularly intriguing for use in bio-nanotechnology applications, as presence of such monolayers with three-dimensional (3D) morphology provides nanoparticles with surface-dependent properties that, in turn, affect their biological behavior. Comprehensive understanding of the physicochemical interactions occurring at the interface between these versatile nanomaterials and biological systems is therefore crucial to fully exploit their potential. This review aims to explore the current state of development of such patterned, self-assembled monolayer-protected gold nanoparticles, through step-by-step analysis of their conceptual design, synthetic procedures, predicted and determined surface characteristics, interactions with and performance in biological environments, and experimental and computational methods currently employed for their investigation.