Surface enhanced Raman scattering investigation of the halide anion effect on the adsorption of 1,2,3-triazole on silver and gold colloidal nanoparticles

Plastic bending in a semiconducting coordination polymer crystal enabled by delamination

Coordination polymers (CPs) are a class of crystalline solids that are considered brittle, due to the dominance of directional coordination bonding, which limits their utility in flexible electronics and wearable devices. Hence, engineering plasticity into functional CPs is of great importance. Here, we report plastic bending of a semiconducting CP crystal, Cu-Trz (Trz = 1,2,3-triazolate), that originates from delamination facilitated by the discrete bonding interactions along different crystallographic directions in the lattice. The coexistence of strong coordination bonds and weak supramolecular interactions, together with the unique molecular packing, are the structural features that enable the mechanical flexibility and anisotropic response. The spatially resolved analysis of short-range molecular forces reveals that the strong coordination bonds, and the adaptive C–H···π and Cu···Cu interactions, synergistically lead to the delamination of the local structures and consequently the associated mechanical bending. The proposed delamination mechanism offers a versatile tool for designing the plasticity of CPs and other molecular crystals.

Sensitive and reliable identification of fentanyl citrate in urine and serum using chloride ion-treated paper-based SERS substrate

Recently, the phenomenon of fentanyls overdose leading to death is emerging in an endless stream. There is an urgent requirement to quickly identify fentanyl content in body fluids for medical and judicial purposes. With this in mind, we present a paper-based SERS substrate decorated with uniform gold nanospheres treated by chloride ion for the detection of fentanyl citrate in urine and serum. In particular, the paper-based SERS sensor was prepared by liquid/liquid self-assembly technique and chloride ion was introduced to clean and modify the substrate surface, which improved the sensitivity of the solid substrate with an enhancement factor (EF) as high as 1.64 × 10⁵. Moreover, the uniformity of each paper-based substrate and the repeatability on different batches of substrate were excellent, and there was no obvious change in the intensity response of Raman spectra within a month. As a result, the quantitative analysis of fentanyl citrate in artificial urine and rat serum were performed based on the modified paper-based substrate with the limit of detection as low as 0.59 μg/mL and 2.78 μg/mL, respectively. Both the concentrations of the two biological samples with the Raman signal intensity were linearly plotted and the recovery of the spiked samples with different concentrations was collected to verify the accuracy of the quantitative curves. All the results suggest that this work makes SERS method available for the rapid identification and quantitative analysis of illicit drug in the real biological samples.

Cysteine-based silver nanoparticles as dual colorimetric sensors for cations and anions

The synthesis of amide–triazole-based Ag NPs and their sensing ability towards anions and cations in aqueous solution were investigated. The importance of amide–triazole as a binding motif, in conjunction with Ag NPs, and the mode of the sensing ability of these amide–triazole Ag NPs as dual colorimetric sensors have been studied in detail.

Nanosensing protein allostery using a bivalent mouse double minute two (MDM2) assay

The tumor suppressor protein, p53, is either mutated or absent in >50% of cancers and is negatively regulated by the mouse double minute (MDM2) protein. Understanding and inhibition of the MDM2-p53 interaction are, therefore, critical for developing novel chemotherapeutics, which are currently limited because of a lack of appropriate study tools. We present a nanosensing approach to investigate full-length MDM2 interactions with p53, thus providing an allosteric assay for identifying binding ligands. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active nanoparticles, functionalized with a p53 peptide mimic (peptide 12.1), display biologically specific aggregation following addition of MDM2. Nanoparticle assembly is competitively inhibited by the N-terminal MDM2-binding ligands peptide 12.1 and Nutlin-3. This study reports nanoparticle assembly through specific protein-peptide interactions that can be followed by SERS. We demonstrate solution-based MDM2 allosteric interaction studies that use the full-length protein.

Conductive inks with a "built-in" mechanism that enables sintering at room temperature

At present there is no metallic ink that enables formation of conductive patterns at room temperature by a single printing step. Printing conductive features by metallic nanoparticle-based inks must be followed by sintering while heating to elevated temperatures, thus preventing their utilization on most plastic substrates used in plastic electronics. In this report we present a new silver nanoparticle-based conductive ink, having a built-in sintering mechanism, which is triggered during drying of the printed pattern. The nanoparticles that are stabilized by a polymer undergo self-sintering spontaneously, due to the presence of a destabilizing agent, which comes into action only during drying of the printed pattern. The destabilizing agent, which contains Cl(-) ions, causes detachment of the anchoring groups of the stabilizer from the nanoparticles' surface and thus enables their coalescence and sintering. It was found that the new metallic ink leads to very high conductivities, by a single printing step: up to 41% of the conductivity of bulk silver was achieved, the highest reported conductivity of a printed pattern that is obtained from nanoparticles at room temperature.

SERS and DFT investigation on the adsorption of 1,10-phenanthroline on transition metal surfaces

SERS spectra of 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) on iron smooth surface doped with silver nanoparticles have been recorded and compared with those previously obtained on Ag doped smooth silver, copper and nickel surfaces. In order to correctly assign the SERS spectra, DFT/B3LYP calculations of phen and different models of phen/metal surface complexes have been performed. The 6-311++G(d,p) basis set was used for phen, whereas a mixed basis 6-311++G(d,p)/LANL2DZ was utilized in the case of the phen/metal complexes. From the comparison between the experimental and computational data, it was evidenced that phen was chemisorbed through its N atoms to the Ag, Cu, Ni and Fe surfaces, whereas the deposited Ag colloidal nanoparticles only played the role of providing the electromagnetic enhancement (with a factor of more than 10(3)) necessary to detect a suitable SERS signal.

Interaction of colloidal gold nanoparticles with human blood: effects on particle size and analysis of plasma protein binding profiles

Nanoparticle size and plasma binding profile contribute to a particle's longevity in the bloodstream, which can have important consequences for therapeutic efficacy. In this study an approximate doubling in nanoparticle hydrodynamic size was observed upon in vitro incubation of 30- and 50-nm colloidal gold in human plasma. Plasma proteins that bind the surface of citrate-stabilized gold colloids have been identified. Effects of protein binding on the nanoparticle hydrodynamic size, elements of coagulation, and the complement system have been investigated. The difference in size measurements obtained from dynamic light scattering, electron microscopy, and scanning probe microscopy are also discussed.

Disclosure of the imidazolium cation coordination and stabilization mode in ionic liquid stabilized gold(0) nanoparticles

A surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) study of imidazolium ionic liquid stabilized gold(0) nanoparticles (GNPs) furnished previously unknown knowledge about the coordination and stabilization mode of the imidazolium cation. GNPs were prepared by hydrazine reduction of a chloroauric acid solution in 1-triethylene glycol monomethyl ether-3-methylimidazolium methanesulfonate 2 as ether-functionalized room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL). UV-vis spectroscopy showed the presence of GNP aggregates as absorptions extended to the NIR region. A parallel coordination mode for the imidazolium cation of RTIL 2 on the GNP surface was observed by SERS, which occurred without the simultaneous coordination of the 1-triethylene glycol monomethyl ether-functionality. Instead of this, the ether-functionality was directed away from the GNP surface and acted as steric barrier between the GNPs/GNP aggregates, thus preventing further aggregation. These new insights suggest that the imidazolium cation is responsible for electrosteric stabilization.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Investigation of the Adsorption of 2-Mercaptobenzoxazole on Smooth Copper Surfaces Doped with Silver Colloidal Nanoparticles

The adsorption of 2-mercaptobenzoxazole on copper has been investigated by means of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) by doping smooth copper surfaces with silver colloidal nanoparticles. The metal surfaces have been characterized by means of atomic force microscopy measurements. The compound adsorbs on the Cu/Ag surfaces in its ionized thiolic form, adopting a tilted orientation with respect to the metal surface. The anion is chemisorbed through the sulfur and nitrogen atoms on the smooth copper surface, and the silver colloidal nanoparticles only enhance the Raman signal due to the electromagnetic mechanism. SERS data have been interpreted with the help of DFT calculations on models of the ligand bound to copper adclusters.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering investigations of 4-nitro(pyridine N-oxide) and 4,4′-azobis(pyridine N-oxide) adsorbed on silver colloidal nanoparticles

A spectroscopic investigation on the adsorption process of 4-nitro(pyridine N-oxide) (NPO) onto silver colloidal nanoparticles has been performed by Raman and UV-visible absorption measurements. Discrepancies between the Raman spectra of NPO in aqueous solution and in Ag hydrosol prompted an extension of the SERS study to include an investigation on the reactivity of this compound in silver colloidal suspension. The data are diagnostic of a reduction of the nitrogroup of NPO with subsequent formation of 4,4'-azobis(pyridine N-oxide) (APO). Hence, the adsorption mechanism and the molecular arrangement of APO adsorbed on the silver surface have been investigated by means of the SERS technique with the help of Density Functional Theoretical calculations of models of APO bound to a silver surface adatom.

SERS studies of the adsorption of guanine derivatives on gold colloidal nanoparticles

Surface enhanced Raman scattering spectra of guanine, guanosine and 2'-deoxyguanosine adsorbed on gold colloidal nanoparticles were obtained. From the striking similarity of the SERS spectra of these compounds, it can be evidenced that guanosine and 2'-deoxyguanosine adsorb on gold nanoparticles through the guanine moiety. The molecular sites involved in the interaction with the gold surface are the same for the 3 compounds: the oxygen of the carbonilic group and the N(7) atom. Guanine, guanosine and 2'-deoxyguanosine adsorb on the gold substrates with a tilted orientation with respect to the metal surface. SERS data were interpreted taking into account density functional theoretical (DFT) calculations of guanine.