Surface Modification of Gold Nanoparticles for Targeted Drug Delivery

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are the most widely studied and used inorganic nanoparticles in biomedical researches and applications, due to their controllable shape and size, biological inertia, and optical and photothermal therapeutic properties. Besides the shape and size, surface property is also a critical factor that influences the performance of AuNPs in vivo, especially for targeted drug delivery using AuNPs as the carriers. Two approaches, noncovalent and covalent interactions, are commonly employed to modify the surface of AuNPs. Each of them has advantages and disadvantages. In this chapter, we focus on these two kinds of surface modification methods and their applications in regulating the properties and performance of AuNP-based nanosystems for targeted drug delivery. It provides valuable reference and guide to implement modification of the surface for nanomaterials and realize the unique functions in diagnosis and treatment.