Testing nanomaterials of unknown toxicity: An example based on platinum nanoparticles of different shapes

Platinum Nanoparticles (NPs) were used for assessing shape-dependent uptake, oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses and cultured human umbilical vein endothelial and lung epithelial cells. The ROS-generating profile for some NPs can be very different when cells are included in the reaction mixture. TEM images of Pt NPs with four different shapes were used during the experiment and the particles that used were made from platinum acetylacetonate in diphenyl ether using hexadecylamine and adamantanecarboxylic acid as capping agents. Platinum nanoflowers, multipods, and spheres that were made from these flowers and multipods were used as model particles. Results from the exposure study indicated that the Pt NPs were retained in lung parenchymal tissue and phagocytic cells and a mild inflammatory response had occurred.