LIGHT-INDUCED AGGREGATION OF NANOPARTICLES FUNCTIONALIZED WITH 7-AMINO-4-METHYLCOUMARIN

Herein, we report on the modification of silica nanoparticles with the molecule 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (AMC) via a hydrophilic dextran linker using reductive amination chemistry. The AMC-functionalized nanoparticles were shown to aggregate in response to irradiation by 350 nm UV light. The aggregation of the particles was studied using dynamic light scattering, UV-VIS spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The synthesis method described herein utilizes a classic reductive amination reaction, which can potentially be transferred to a variety of different types of nanoparticles. Particles displaying this behavior have many potential applications in the field of nanomedicine, as they can potentially allow one to modulate the particle size of a nanoparticle formulation after administration to the body. The AMC-functionalized particles studied in this report serve as a convincing proof-of-concept for synthesizing light-responsive nanoparticles.