Extremely stable water-soluble Ag nanoparticles

A rationally designed peptide and a thioalkylated poly(ethylene glycol) are used to stabilize Ag nanoparticles in water. Particle aggregation and oxidation are prevented to such a degree that nanoparticle solutions are stable in the presence of high concentrations of NaCl and over a wide pH range. This opens the door for the use of Ag nanoparticles in biological applications.