nanomaterials Review Functionalization of Gold Nanoparticles by Inorganic Entities Frédéric Dumur 1,* , Eddy Dumas 2 and Cédric R. Mayer 3,4,* 1 Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, ICR, UMR 7273, F-13397 Marseille, France 2 Institut Lavoisier de Versailles, UMR CNRS 8180, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, F-78035 Versailles, France;
[email protected] 3 Laboratoire LuMin, FRE CNRS 2036, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, ENS Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405 Orsay CEDEX, France 4 Département de Chimie, UFR des Sciences, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, F-78035 Versailles, France * Correspondence:
[email protected] (F.D.);
[email protected] (C.R.M.); Tel.: +33-0491289059 (F.D.) Received: 25 February 2020; Accepted: 13 March 2020; Published: 18 March 2020 Abstract: The great affinity of gold surface for numerous electron-donating groups has largely contributed to the rapid development of functionalized gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs). In the last years, a new subclass of nanocomposite has emerged, based on the association of inorganic molecular entities (IME) with Au-NPs. This highly extended and diversified subclass was promoted by the synergy between the intrinsic properties of the shell and the gold core. This review—divided into four main parts—focuses on an introductory section of the basic notions related to the stabilization of gold nanoparticles and defines in a second part the key role played by the functionalizing agent. Then, we present a wide range of inorganic molecular entities used to prepare these nanocomposites (NCs). In particular, we focus on four different types of inorganic systems, their topologies, and their current applications.