PEGylated N-Heterocyclic Carbene Anchors Designed To Stabilize Gold Nanoparticles in Biologically Relevant Media

N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have emerged as versatile ligands for surface functionalization. Their ease of synthesis and ability to form strong bonds with a range of substrates provide a unique complement to traditional surface modification methods. Gold nanoparticles (NPs) are a particularly useful class of materials whose applications intimately depend on surface functionalization. Here we report the development of PEGylated-NHC ligands for Au-NP surfaces and the first example of NHC-functionalized NPs that are compatible with biologically relevant conditions. Our PEGylated-NHC-Au-NPs are stable toward aggregation in aqueous solutions in the pH range of 3–14, in <250 mM electrolyte solutions, at high and low temperatures (95 and −78 °C), in cell culture media, and in aqueous H2O2 solutions. This work demonstrates for the first time that NHCs can serve as anchors for water-soluble Au-NPs and opens the door to potential biomedical applications of NHC surface anchors.