Rapid visual detection of quaternary ammonium surfactants using citrate-capped silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) based on hydrophobic effect

Differential surface partitioning for an ultrasensitive solid-state SERS sensor and its application to food colorant analysis

Solid-state SERS sensors are desirable point-of-care tools due to their portability. However, the level of SERS sensitivity achieved in liquid phase is rarely duplicated in the solid phase. We report herein the fabrication of a SERS sensor using alumina beads as the solid support and demonstrate its high SERS sensitivity with the model analyte 4-aminophenyl disulfide (4-APDS). The key to sensitivity is a hydrophilic-hydrophobic surface gradient constructed by sequentially coating with the surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and fluorous 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane. The surface gradient, together with chloride etching, allows the detection of 4-APDS at the low concentration of 10^-15 M. The practicality of the sensor beads is evidenced by successfully tracking the SERS fingerprints of five food colorant standards in the SERS spectra of a popular candy product. These SERS sensor beads are easy to prepare, convenient to use, and highly responsive as a SERS platform for the analysis of colorants.

Polydopamine nanodots-based cost-effective nanoprobe for glucose detection and intracellular imaging

The cellular glucose detection remains a vital topic, which could provide some essential information about the glucose-based pathological and physiological processes. In this study, a smart polydopamine nanodots-based cost-effective fluorescence turn-on nanoprobe (denoted as PDA-Ag-GOx) for intracellular glucose detection is established. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are directly formed in one step by the reduction of fluorescent polydopamine nanodots (PDADs) which have much phenolic hydroxyls on the surface. The fluorescence of PDADs could be quenched by AgNPs through surface plasmon-enhanced energy transfer (SPEET) from donor PDADs to acceptor AgNPs. Glucose oxidase (GOx) is modified on the PDA-Ag NPs by covalent bond. In the presence of glucose, GOx could catalyze glucose to produce H₂O₂ and gluconic acid. The generated acid and H₂O₂ would degrade AgNPs into Ag⁺, the PDADs release and restore its fluorescence. The proposed nanoprobe has some advantages, such as cost-effective, easy preparation, and excellent selectivity toward glucose, which could be successfully utilized to intracellular glucose imaging.

Protein-activated transformation of silver nanoparticles into blue and red-emitting nanoclusters

Protein capping can trigger nanoparticle to nanocluster transformation at elevated pH.

Miniaturized liquid chromatography coupled on-line to in-tube solid-phase microextraction for characterization of metallic nanoparticles using plasmonic measurements. A tutorial

This tutorial aims at providing guidelines for analyzing metallic nanoparticles (NPs) and their dispersions by using methods based on miniaturized liquid chromatography with diode array detection (MinLC-DAD) and coupled on-line to in-tube solid-phase microextraction (IT-SPME). Some practical advice and considerations are given for obtaining reliable results. In addition, this work outlines the potential applications that set these methodologies apart from microscopy-related techniques, dynamic light scattering, single particle ICP-MS, capillary electrophoresis, field-flow fractionation and other chromatographic configurations, which are discussed and mainly seek to accomplish size estimation and NP separation, speciation analysis and quantification of mainly AgNPs and AuNPs. MinLC-DAD has the potential to estimate the NP concentration and from it the average size of unknown samples by calibrating with a single standard, as well as studying potentially non-spherical particles and stability-related properties of their dispersions. While keeping the signal dependency with concentration and increasing the method sensitivity, IT-SPME-MinLC-DAD goes further allowing for the assessment of the dispersant effect and ultimately changes in the nanoparticle surroundings that range from modifications of the hydrodynamic diameter to the exposure to different reagents and matrices. The methodology can still be improved by either exploring newer IT-SPME adsorbents or by assaying new system configurations. Taking into account that this technique gives complementary information in relation to other techniques discussed here, this tutorial serves as a guide for analyzing metallic NPs towards a better understanding of the particle behavior under different scenarios.

Optical assays based on colloidal inorganic nanoparticles

Colloidal inorganic nanoparticles have wide applications in the detection of analytes and in biological assays. A large number of these assays rely on the ability of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs, in the 20 nm diameter size range) to undergo a color change from red to blue upon aggregation. AuNP assays can be based on cross-linking, non-cross linking or unmodified charge-based aggregation. Nucleic acid-based probes, monoclonal antibodies, and molecular-affinity agents can be attached by covalent or non-covalent means. Surface plasmon resonance and SERS techniques can be utilized. Silver NPs also have attractive optical properties (higher extinction coefficient). Combinations of AuNPs and AgNPs in nanocomposites can have additional advantages. Magnetic NPs and ZnO, TiO2 and ZnS as well as insulator NPs including SiO2 can be employed in colorimetric assays, and some can act as peroxidase mimics in catalytic applications. This review covers the synthesis and stabilization of inorganic NPs and their diverse applications in colorimetric and optical assays for analytes related to environmental contamination (metal ions and pesticides), and for early diagnosis and monitoring of diseases, using medically important biomarkers.

Quantitative study of the capture of silver nanoparticles by several kinds of soils

The capacity of different soils to capture silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by measuring changes of an AgNP intrinsic property such as the plasmon for the first time, was studied. In-tube solid-phase microextraction (IT-SPME) coupled on-line to capillary liquid chromatography (CapLC) with diode array detection (DAD) was employed for measuring the interactions between soil and in-contact AgNP dispersions. Its achieved LOD 9 pM assures quantitative retention measurements and selectivity for soil lixiviation was suitable. Electronic microscopy was employed for corroborating the entrapped Ag into the soils. Capture % of AgNPs was calculated in compost (>99%), mountain (>99%), orchard (15±1%) and urban (48±1%) soils. Also, the relation between some soil characteristics: solid organic matter (SOM), composition, pH, redox potential (Eh), electrical conductivity (EC) and size, and the retention of these metallic nanoparticles was studied. The results have also been estimated after sieving and the capture % of AgNPs was similar in the resulting fractions. AgNP adsorption on a given soil is mainly affected by its organic matter content for studied soils with higher SOM amounts (23-62%). However, for the soils with lower SOM amounts (4.6-8.3%) the role of HAs could prevent AgNP deposition onto soils. The proposed methodology can be utilized for quickly assessing the potential of a given soil considering its properties for capturing these nanoparticles, which can come at handy for their administration, characterization or remediation.

Reversible catalysis for the reaction between methyl orange and NaBH4 by silver nanoparticles

The reaction between MO and NaBH4 catalyzed by Ag NPs has been studied. Ag NPs catalyzed the reduction of MO rapidly, while adding CTAB into the solution caused the regeneration of MO. Thus, reversible catalysis for the reaction between MO and NaBH4 by Ag NPs was discovered for the first time.

A gold nanoparticle-based colorimetric probe for rapid detection of 1-hydroxypyrene in urine

Direct and rapid detection of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) is of great importance owing to its high carcinogenicity, teratogenicity and toxicity.