Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - National Institute of Laser Enhanced Science - Department of Laser Applications in Environmental Metrology Photochemistry , Photobiology and Agriculture

Increasing the limit of dispersion of metal-free phthalocyanine (H2Pc) in aqueous medium using biosynthetic gold nanoparticles for photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been investigated. Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) are biosynthesized in one step using Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) extract and are characterized by UV/VIS spectrophotometry, Fourier transformer infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The metal-free phthalocyanine is conjugated to the surface of the gold nanoparticles in a side to side regime through the secondary amine groups of H2Pc. The clear violet solution of phthalocyanine-gold nanoconjugates (Pc-Au NCs) is investigated by UV{u2013}VIS, FTIR and TEM techniques. Disappearance of the absorption band of the secondary amine in the Pc-Au NCs compared to that of the parent H₂Pc, and detection of the absorption band of H₂Pc in the aqueous medium confirmed the dispersion of H₂Pc and consequently the loading of H2Pc on the surface of Au NPs. The cytotoxic effect of biosynthetic gold nanoparticles and Pc-Au NCs compared to chemically synthesized gold nanoparticles on buffalo epithelial cells has been studied in vitro. Interestingly, the results showed that the biosynthetic Au NPs as well as Pc-Au NCs have no effect on buffalo epithelial cells viability, which indicating their biocompatibility contrary to the chemically synthesized Au NPs

Issued also as CD