Fibrin Clot Degradation by Polyaniline-Coated AuNP Using Laser Photolysis

Abstract

Fibrin clots are crucial for hemostasis and the healing of wounds; nevertheless, excessive blood clotting plays an important role in many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease. In this study, we demonstrated the effect of the prepared AuNPs@PANI core/shell on the formed fibrin network. The synthesis of nanoparticles combining electrically conducting polymers polyaniline (PANI) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) is an appealing field of research currently because of their physical features and prospective applications in biochemistry. AuNPs showed surface plasmonic resonance (SPR) properties in the visible region at 520 nm then, after coating with PANI, there was a dramatic red shift to 610 nm. The morphological conformation was confirmed by characterization at the microscopic (TEM, SEM, EDX). The PANI shell plays a crucial role in this system, first enhances the stability of AuNPs core; also, the surface of the PANI shell has positive charges (zeta potential = +17.8 mV), leading to electrostatic interactions with fibrin clots that have negatively charged surfaces. The synthesized core/shell AuNPs@PANI showed good efficiency for degrading fibrin networks under 1:30 h of irradiation by an external source of laser light, which is a result of AuNPs’ ability to absorb light at 520 nm. The degradation of fibrin was observed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), which showed a clear change in the shape of the network. The appearance of fibrous endings and gaping indicates the beginning of the degradation and melting of the fibrin network in different sites of the clot. Overall, this method could have a major influence on disease states, for example, deep vein thrombosis, through a localized, catheter-based approach.

Keywords

• AuNP
• Fibrin clot
• Laser photolysis
• Polyaniline
• Surface modification