Dental Gold Alloys and Gold Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications

This book focuses on recent advances in dental gold alloys and gold nanoparticles (GNPs) for biomedical applications. Dental gold alloys combine several highly desirable mechanical properties, such as high strength, ductility, and elasticity, with an extremely robust chemical stability in the mouth. Moreover, astonishing progress has been made in the use of GNPs as novel gold biomaterials that provide a multifunctional platform for cellular imaging, biosensing, and targeted drug delivery in tumour immunotherapy and photothermal therapy.

Beginning with a comprehensive overview of the development and use of dental gold alloys, the book addresses the materials properties that are crucial for dental applications, focusing on aspects such as microstructure, chemical and mechanical stability, ageing, biocompatibility, and colour retention. The book then shifts focus to the use of GNPs in dental applications, delving into different techniques of GNP synthesis for specifically tailoring the size, shape, and stability of GNPs in biological media. In addition to these factors, it addresses how their exposure route, surface chemistry, as well as how the steric effects of their coating impact biodistribution and determine the level of GNP toxicity in the human body. Featuring topical literature reviews alongside up-to-date published experimental results, this book offers an attractive resource for practicing scientists and engineers working in the field of gold-based biomaterials.

Rebeka Rudolf has been employed permanently at the University of Maribor Slovenia, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, since 1993. In 2006 she was additionally employed by the firm Zlatarna Celje d.o.o. Slovenia as the Research Manager (Leader of the Research Group). She has focused intensively on the development of new dental alloys, studying their biocompatibility and corrosion resistance, which are the applicable values for the field of the Stomatology. Under her leadership, four Au dental alloys were patented and launched on the EU market. In the last 5 years, she has been involved actively in the field of Nanotechnology – the synthesis of the different metal nanoparticles based on the Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis process. In 2017, she achieved the level of Research Counsellor and Associate Professor in the University of Maribor (Habilitation field: Materials). Her bibliography consists of 1,044 units, including 172 original scientific articles.

Vojkan Lazić is a Full Professor and Vice Dean at the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Belgrade. He has been employed at the University permanently since 1994. Since then he has been involved in teaching and research, especially in Dental materials in the field of New dental alloys for ceramic fused to metal restorations. He was a participant and the main researcher in six scientific projects, mainly in Dental materials. In 2008 he became a Fellow at the Advanced Prosthodontic Division at UCLA, CA – USA. He has published 52 papers, of which 45 were scientific papers, then 110 reports at international and domestic conferences and six books. So far, he has been a mentor in 6 completed Doctoral Dissertations.

Peter Majerič  completed his Doctoral studies in 2016 at the Institute of Materials Technology at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor. In collaboration with the Institute for Process Metallurgy and Metal Recycling, RWTH Aachen University, his research focus was on Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis for the production of gold nanoparticles. His activities continued on research and development projects in the field of Materials, Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials` Production.

Andrej Ivanič is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering and Architecture at the University of Maribor. The main interests of his research include Composite materials, Biomaterials, Nanomaterials, Metal alloys, Concrete, Recycled materials and mechanical testing of various materials and structures. His bibliography consists of 328 units, including 19 scientific papers, 1 invited talk and 42 papers in conference proceedings.

Gregor Kravanja is a Researcher with a Doctorate at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation and Architecture at the University of Maribor, where he is included in teaching. The main interests of his research include biomaterials` fabrication using supercritical fluids, scaffolds` manufacturing, enzyme kinetics, biomaterials and mechanical testing. His bibliography consists of more than 105 units, including 22 scientific papers, 2 invited talks and 22 papers in conference proceedings.

Karlo T. Raić is a Professor at the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, where he teaches the courses: Transport Phenomena in Materials Engineering, Surface engineering and Metallic materials in medicine; and has performed a lot of organisational functions. He has achieved more than 170 bibliographic units (peer review journals, national journals, international & national conference books and textbooks). He has participated in and coordinated numerous national and international projects.