ABSTRACT
Gold (Au) is among the most precious of metals in existence for both its everlasting luster and its recently recognized utility in the field of nanomedicine. This chapter aims to report on the present state of multifunctional gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in nanomedicine and focus on the design of such constructs for use in drug delivery applications. It explains the synthesis of the AuNP base, conjugation of imaging and targeting agents, and the applications of these multifunctional AuNPs in drug delivery systems. The amount of information regarding the synthesis methods for AuNPs has grown exponentially since the time of Faraday. Although the syntheses of AuNPs under various conditions have been well documented, many difficulties exist in producing AuNPs on a large scale. AuNPs display an incredible capacity to perform multiple functions at the nanoscale and at the same time remain relatively biologically inert and responsive. These characteristics lend themselves ideally to nanopharmaceutical applications, particularly in the form of precise and efficient nanomedicine.
