Extraordinary high preservation of the dispersion state of Au nanoparticles during freeze-thawing and freeze-drying with gum arabic

A series of edible and non-toxic substances were screened for their ability to prevent Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) from undergoing aggregation during both freeze-thawing and freeze-drying at as low an additive concentration as possible. Gum arabic was found to be an ideal choice. The addition of 20 µg/mL of gum arabic greatly inhibited the aggregation of AuNPs during freeze-thawing and -drying, whereas polyvinylpyrrolidone was the next best among the tested substances, with approximately 20% aggregation during freeze-drying at a concentration of less than 200 µg/mL. The zeta potential value of the AuNPs indicated the absence of the specific binding of gum arabic to the AuNPs surface. Surface enhanced infrared spectroscopic (SEIRAS) analyses were conducted for the gum arabic solution, frozen and freeze-dried on the Au particles. The results indicated that, in the frozen state, gum arabic molecules were concentrated in remaining unfrozen liquid on the Au coating without any specific orientation toward the Au surface. In contrast, SEIRAS spectra of freeze-dried gum arabic indicated that carboxylic groups in gum arabic molecules preferentially became closer to the Au surface. Considering these findings, during freeze-thawing, we conclude that the high thickening property of gum arabic gum plays an important role in minimizing the mobility and thus the aggregation of AuNPs in the freeze-concentrated regions between frozen ice crystals. The freeze-drying of a gum arabic solution produces a rigid amorphous matrix that has an affinity for the Au surface. The AuNPs were individually separated and immobilized in the freeze-dried matrix of the gum arabic, resulting in the extraordinary inhibition of their aggregation.