On the application potential of gold nanoparticles in nanoelectronics and biomedicine by Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Philosophical Transactions A Volume 368(1915): March 28, 2010 ©2010 by The Royal Society

(a) Microcrystals of Au55(PPh3)12Cl6 and (b) high-resolution image of a thin crystal part indicating the highly ordered cluster layers. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

Organization of full-shell clusters. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

Optimized geometry of the stable isomers of (a) Au55, (b) Au55(PH3)12, (c) Au55(PH3)12Cl6 and (d) Au55(PH3)12Cl6 54H2O. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

Structure of the [Au9(P(C6H5)3]8]3+ cluster cation determined by single crystal X-ray measurements. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

(a) Two views of the Au102(p-MBA)44 cluster. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

The tunnelling of a single electron between two metal electrodes through an intermediate island (quantum dot) can be blocked by the electrostatic energy of a single excess electron trapped on the central island. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

Experimental set-up to image and investigate ligand-protected nanoparticles by STM and STS, respectively. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

SET on a single ligand-stabilized Au55 cluster at 90 K. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

(a) STM image of a single Au55[P(C6H5)3]12Cl6 cluster on an Au(111) surface at 7 K, obtained at a bias of 2 V and a current of 100 pA using a Pt–Ir tip. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

Tunnelling spectra acquired at the two distinct locations marked in figure 9a. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

Schematic of the set-up for single particle measurements. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

(a) Pt electrodes (white) separated by an approximately 14 nm gap. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

Current–voltage curves measured at 4.2 K (open squares) and at 295 K (solid squares). Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

Sketch of intended construction of a cross-bar system with single quantum dots between each cross-point. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

SET transistor based on SA of AuNPs on electrodes fabricated by electron beam lithography. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

(a) SEM image of a three-electrode configuration with source, drain and gate electrodes. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

Scheme for the AFM-supported generation of thiol-functionalized monolayer that is capable of binding Au55 clusters upon thiolate/gold bond formation. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

AFM image of strictly one-dimensionally ordered Au55(PPh3)12−xCl6 clusters. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

(a) Scheme of the incorporation of artificial DNA bases into the DNA strand by PCR, followed by attachment of azide-terminated nanoparticles to the strand via a Cu(I)-catalysed click reaction. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

Preparation of monoaldehyde- and dialdehyde-functionalized DNA. Reproduced with permission from Wirges et al. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

HR-STEM micrographs. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

(a–f) Corresponding SEM pictures of the electrical transport measurements along decreasing tip-to-tip distance. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

(a) I–V characteristics of as-prepared AuNP chains with different numbers of particles and a reference measurement on the PMMA surface. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

(a) Electron microscope image of the investigated device, (b) I(V) characteristics of the device at different stages in the exchange experiments, (c) scheme of the exchange reaction in the monolayer of the nanoparticles, (d) electron microscopy pictures of... Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

(a) Scheme of the switching molecule, a dithiolated diarylethene; top, closed form (‘on’ state); bottom, open form (‘off’ state). Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

Schematic of the immobilization of AuNPs by DNA hybridization on silicon dioxide surfaces. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

AFM image of a densely packed monolayer of 15 nm spherical AuNPs applying the DNA hybridization scheme as described earlier. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

Arrhenius plots of samples prepared by specific (triangles) and non-specific (dots) immobilization. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

Parameters influencing the interaction of AuNPs in biological surroundings are the size, the nature of the ligand particle surface bonding and the nature of the ‘outer’ ligand shell (ligand charge). Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

Cytotoxicities of Au compounds during the logarithmic growth phase of four cell lines. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

Determination of live, apoptotic and necrotic HeLa cells untreated or treated with the indicated compounds for 6, 12, 18 and 24 h. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

NAC, GSH and TPPMS but not ascorbic acid can partially inhibit the cytotoxicity of 100 μM Au1.4MS. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

AFM image of a y-formed piece of B-DNA, partially covered with clusters. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

Modelling of the interaction of bare Au55 clusters with the major grooves of B-DNA. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

(a) Experimental set-up for the laser-induced melting of AuNP–DNA networks by Reismann et al. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society

Principle of the photothermal experiment. Melanie Homberger, and Ulrich Simon Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2010;368: ©2010 by The Royal Society