Role of lipoic acid and gold nanomaterials and nanoclusters for biomedical and environmental applications

Gold nano-colloids have garnered interest because of their distinct optical, size-dependent, and interaction characteristics, particularly lipoic acid (LA)-capped gold nanoparticles (GNPs) and gold nanoclusters. This review focuses on their synthesis techniques that improve solubility, stability, and optical behavior, such as ligand exchange, etching, and self-assembled monolayers (SAM). When compared to other hydrophilic ligands, LA offers benefits. Their great biocompatibility and low cytotoxicity make them appropriate for biological applications such drug administration, wound healing, bioimaging, and antioxidant treatments, according to the review. It also looks at how well they can detect pesticides, heavy metals, and nerve toxins using fluorescence and colorimetric sensing. The review concludes by going over the mechanics of pollution sensing, present constraints, and future possibilities, including uses that are in line with the circular economy.