Surface Functionalization of Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles via Click Chemistry: Covalent Attachment of Proteins and Ultrasmall Gold Nanoparticles

Calcium phosphate nanoparticles (60 nm) were stabilized with either polyethyleneimine (PEI; polycationic electrolyte) or carboxymethylcellulose (CMC; polyanionic electrolyte). Next, a silica shell was added and terminated with either azide or alkyne groups via siloxane coupling chemistry. The particles were covalently functionalized by copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC; click chemistry) with proteins or gold nanoparticles that carried the complementary group, i.e., either alkyne or azide. The model proteins hemoglobin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were attached as well as ultrasmall gold nanoparticles (2 nm). The number of protein molecules and gold nanoparticles attached to each calcium phosphate nanoparticle was quantitatively determined by extensive fluorescent labelling and UV–Vis spectroscopy on positively (PEI) or negatively (CMC) charged calcium phosphate nanoparticles, respectively. Depending on the cargo and the nanoparticle charge, this number was in the range of several hundreds to thousands. The functionalized calcium phosphate particles were well dispersible in water as shown by dynamic light scattering and internally amorphous as shown by X-ray powder diffraction. They were easily taken up by HeLa cells and not cytotoxic. This demonstrates that the covalent surface functionalization of calcium phosphate nanoparticles is a versatile method to create transporters with firmly attached cargo molecules into cells.