Particles
"Because of their unique physical properties, gold surfaces have become a popular platform for the development of biologically relevant detection assays in a variety of settings, including health care, environmental testing, and national security.Gold offers many advantages over other available materials; it is biocompatible, essentially nontoxic, readily functionalized with a variety of ligands, and relatively stable in many solutions including biological matrices. More specifically, AuNPs are frequently used because of their optical properties, ease of functionalization, size, and efficient cellular internalization."
Adams and Jackson, Langmuir, 2012, 28 (2), pp 1068–1082
