Cytotoxicity of noble metal nanoparticles sputtered into glycerol

• Metal nanoparticles (Ag, Au, Pt, Pd) were synthesized by PVD technique into glycerol.
• Cytotoxicity of metal nanoparticles was assessed on selected cell lines.
• Most pronounced cytotoxic effect exhibited Pt and PdNPs.
• From the cytotoxicity point of view AuNPs may be considered as most cell-friendly.

Nowadays, nanomaterials belong among one of the most studies materials. Even despite the immense advantages of nanostructured materials, some studies indicate that these materials can also harmfully affect both human being and the environment. Therefore, in this study, we have focused on nanoparticle (NP) cytotoxicity in vitro. To study NPs intrinsic biological properties, we employed cathodic sputtering into glycerol for their synthesis, thus eliminating the use of toxic solvents. According to the transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering measurements, we prepared non-agglomerated NPs of the following sizes: 6.1±1.0 nm for gold, 4.2±0.9 nm for silver, 2.5±0.6 nm for palladium, and 1.8±0.4 nm for platinum NPs. The cytotoxic activity of these NPs was determined by WST-1 assay using six model cell lines: human cells from hepatocarcinoma (Hep G2), human keratinocytes (HaCaT), mouse macrophages (RAW 264.7), mouse embryonic fibroblasts (L929 and NIH 3T3), and cells from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1).