On-Demand Functionalized Nanomaterials for Applications in Biomedicine: Antiviral Cu(I)-Complexes Conjugated with Gold Nanorods. Investigati

Gold rod-shaped nanoparticles (AuNRs) thanks to their anisotropic shape display a peculiar optical behaviour, consisting in two plasmon bands: a transverse
plasmon band corresponding to an electron oscillation along the short axis of the rod, at around 510–550 nm, and a longitudinal plasmon band, in the range
600–1200 nm. Indeed, the nanorods’ aspect ratio can be modified by the strict control of the experimental parameters during their chemical synthesis, allowing
to opportunely tune the position of the plasmon bands. The possibility to modify ad hoc the AuNRs surface is a key point in the realization of very advantageous
nanomaterials for applications in biomedicine. In this context, our strategy is to chemically synthesize AuNRs of controlled size and shape (mean sizes of about
20x80nm - 15x70nm) using L-cysteine as stabilizing agent and linker to Cu(I) coordination compounds. Here we propose to investigate by XAS the local structure
around Cu and Au atoms.