Adsorption Of Au Nanoparticles Research Articles

High sensitivity fiber SPR sensor based on InSe nanosheets and Au nanoparticles

Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) fiber sensors are widely used in the field of biosensing. However, there are still issues of low sensitivity and poor stability in practical detection processes. This paper proposes a highly sensitive fiber SPR sensor based on InSe nanosheets and Au nanoparticles. This paper investigates the enhancement effects of different thicknesses of InSe films inserted between the Au film and the fiber and the adsorption of Au nanoparticles on the Au film surface of the fiber-InSe-Au sensor. The sensitivity of the fiber-InSe-Au sensor reaches 5534.76 nm/RIU, which is 2.71 times higher than the fiber-Au sensor and a 22% improvement compared to the fiber-Au-InSe sensor. The sensitivity of the fiber-InSe-Au-AuNPs sensor further increases to 5853.75, and the FOM reaches 28.11, a 47% improvement compared to the fiber-InSe-Au sensor. Moreover, the enhancement substance is situated within the Au film, which enhances the sensor's stability. Additionally, due to the low biotoxicity and high biocompatibility of Au nanoparticles, the high-performance sensor designed in this study is exceptionally well-suited for biosensing applications.

Umbrella-frame silicon nanorod arrays decorated with Au nanoparticles as recyclable SERS substrates.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a powerful technique for detection and identification of trace amounts of molecules with high specificity. A variety of two- and three-dimensional (3D) SERS substrates have been developed. Among these SERS substrates, to further develop new morphology of 3D SERS-active substrate with robust SERS functionality is still desired and necessary. In this paper, what we believe to be a novel and effective SERS-active substrate based on large-scale 3D Si hierarchical nanoarrays in conjunction with homogeneous Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) was proposed. Its building block shaped like the umbrella-frame structure was fabricated by a simple and cost-effective top-down nanofabrication method. Such umbrella-frame structure achieved excellent SERS performance with high sensitivity and spatial uniformity. For R6G molecules, the detection limit can be as low as 10-14 M, with an enhancement factor of up to 107. The relative standard deviation can reach about 11% above 30 positions across an area of 100×100 μm2. This is mainly attributed to much more active-sites provided by the umbrella-frame structure for adsorption of target molecules and AuNPs, and sufficient 3D hotspots generated by the coupling between the SiNRs guided mode and AuNPs localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), as well as that between AuNPs LSPR. Especially by introducing the umbrella-ribs SiNRs and AuNPs, the light field can be greatly confined to the structure surface, creating strongly enhanced and even zero-gap fields in 3D space. Moreover, the proposed SERS-active substrate can be erased and reused multiple times by plasma cleaning and exhibits typically excellent recyclability and stability for robust SERS activity. The experimental results demonstrate the proposed substrate may serve as a promising SERS platform for trace detection of chemical and biological molecules.

Pyrolytic Carbon Films with Tunable Electronic Structure and Surface Functionality: A Planar Stand‐In for Electroanalysis of Energy‐Relevant Reactions

AbstractFundamental charge‐transfer dynamics for technologically relevant carbons, such as disordered “hard” carbons, can be studied by designing planar mimics. We fabricate thin films of “pyrolytic carbon” (pyC) by decomposition of benzene at 1000 °C and examine the physical and electrochemical properties of the native pyC film, as well as variants after heteroatom doping, plasma oxidation, and metal nanoparticle modification. The pyC films are optically reflective at the macroscale, relatively planar (1–3 nm RMS roughness by atomic force microscopy) and disordered (via Raman scattering). Thiophenyl‐doped pyC films (0.6–1.7 atom % sulfur) suitably mimic the disorder, chemical state (X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy), and work function (Kelvin probe) of a workhorse carbon black, Vulcan XC‐72. Using ferri/ferrocyanide as a redox probe, we find that oxygen functionalities enhance the heterogeneous electron‐transfer rate constant up to 3×, while high levels of sulfur dopants decrease the rate 2×. We also explore thiophenyl‐directed adsorption of Au nanoparticles and show that hydrogen evolution at 0.1 mA cm−2 occurs ∼95 mV more positive at <1 % Au@pyC∼S than at pyC∼S.

Surface plasmon resonance biosensor for the accurate and sensitive quantification of O-GlcNAc based on cleavage by β-D-N-acetylglucosaminidase

Abnormal O-linked-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) concentrations have been associated with a variety of diseases (e.g., cancer, Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease, etc.). However, O-GlcNAc detection is complicated, time-consuming and has poor specificity, therefore, the accurate detection of O-GlcNAc is difficult. In this study, an accurate and sensitive surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor for O-GlcNAc detection that is based on β-D-N-acetylglucosaminidase (OGA) and Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) was developed. In this strategy, AuNPs were used to amplify the SPR signal and improve the biosensor's sensitivity; OGA was used to cleave O-GlcNAc from O-GlcNAcylated biomolecules. The interaction between AuNPs labeled wheat germ agglutinin (AuNPs/WGA) and O-GlcNAcylated biomolecules on a modified Au film treated with and without OGA was recorded by SPR. The change of the SPR signal moves linearly with the amount of O-GlcNAc on the Au film and thus could be used for the detection of O-GlcNAc. By recording the difference of the SPR signals, this method can avoid disturbances from other sugars and nonspecific adsorption of AuNPs and thus enable the accurate detection of O-GlcNAc. The accurate detection range of O-GlcNAc was 4.65 × 10−12 to 4.65 × 10−7 M which was obtained by quantifying the amount of a standard O-GlcNAcylated peptide (O-GlcNAc-CREB), and the detection limit is 4.65 × 10−13 M. More importantly, the strategy was successfully used to detect O-GlcNAc in a real α-crystallin protein, cancer cell lysates and blood samples with satisfactory results. The study's results imply that this accurate and sensitive method has the potential to be applied in the early clinical diagnosis of O-GlcNAc-related diseases.

Nanostructuring of Molecular Assembly Using Electrochemical Reductive Desorption of Locally Stabilized Thiol Monolayers

Nanostructuring of molecular monolayers is indispensable for integration of multiple functionality within a monolayer. Here, a fabrication method of two-component molecular assembly with nanoscale structures is demonstrated by a combination of reductive desorption of thiol molecules from a Au(111) substrate with local stabilization of the molecular layers using adsorption of Au nanoparticles. The average sizes of the obtained nanoscale molecular features were controlled by changing the size of nanoparticles. A unique functionality of size-controlled nanostructures was presented using redox responses of ferrocene-terminated molecules as a collective response of ferrocene moieties in each nanostructured assembly.

One-Dimensional Au–ZnO Heteronanostructures for Ultraviolet Light Detectors by a Two-Step Dielectrophoretic Assembly Method

One-dimensional ZnO decorated with metal nanoparticles has received much attention in the field of ultraviolet light detection because of its high photosensitivity and fast response, while how to form effective metal-ZnO heterostructures cost efficiently is still in development. We report an efficient and well-controlled method to form Au-ZnO heterostructures by two-step dielectrophoretic assembly. First, ZnO nanowires dispersed in deionized water were assembled dielectrophoretically in a planar microelectrode system. To control the number and position of assembled ZnO nanowires, a planar triangle-shaped microelectrode pair was imposed with a high-frequency ac voltage signal in this assembly process. Then a droplet of Au nanoparticle suspension was applied to decorate the preformed ZnO nanowire by another dielectrophoretic assembly process. The near-field dielectrophoretic force induced by the existence of ZnO nanowire spanning the electrode gap attracts Au nanoparticles onto the surface of ZnO nanowires and forms effective Au-ZnO heterostructures. After the adsorption of Au nanoparticles, the performances of Au-ZnO heteronanostructures in UV detection were studied. Experimental results indicate that the ratio of the photo-to-dark current of the Au-ZnO heteronanostucture-based detector was improved significantly, and the photoresponse was accelerated considerably. This kind of enhancement in performance can be attributed to the localized Schottky junctions on the surface of ZnO nanowire which improves the surface band bending.

Silicon Nanowire Bridge Arrays With Dramatically Improved Yields Enabled by Gold Colloids Functionalized With HF Acid and Poly-L-Lysine

Nanowire bridges are attractive structures for characterizing nanowires without impairment during the postprocessing steps and fabricating high-performance sensors. In this study, arrays of silicon nanowire bridges were reproducibly fabricated using chemical vapor deposition in the confined regions of patterned silicon electrodes. While depositing gold colloids without additives resulted in a negligible number of nanowire bridges, treating the colloids with HF acid or functionalizing the silicon electrode surfaces with poly-L-lysine increased the yields to nearly 97%. This dramatic improvement in yield was a result of increased adsorption of Au nanoparticles to the electrode surface. We show that diluted colloids along with the electrode surface treatment increase the possibility of occurrence of bridges with fewer nanowires. Micrographs and current-voltage measurements showed robust electrical, mechanical and metallurgical connections of nanowire bridges to the electrodes during the growth process.

GaN Nanowire Field Emitters With the Adsorption of Au Nanoparticles

We report the adsorption of Au nanoparticles onto the surface of GaN nanowires (NWs) through photo-enhanced chemical reaction and the fabrication of GaN NW field emitters. With the adsorption of Au nanoparticles, it is found that threshold field and work function are reduced from 8.29 V/mm and 4.1 eV to 6.67 V/mm and 3.2 eV, respectively. These improvements could be attributed to the larger band distortion and more electrons accumulation so that more electrons could be emitted for the GaN NW field emitters with Au nanoparticles.

Responsive PET Nano/Microfibers via Surface-Initiated Polymerization

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is one of the most important thermoplastics in ubiquitous use today because of its mechanical properties, clarity, solvent resistance, and recyclability. In this work, we functionalize the surface of electrospun PET microfibers by growing poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) brushes through a chemical sequence that avoids PET degradation to generate thermoresponsive microfibers that remain mechanically robust. Amidation of deposited 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, followed by hydrolysis, yields silanol groups that permit surface attachment of initiator molecules, which can be used to grow PNIPAAm via "grafting from" atom-transfer radical polymerization. Spectroscopic analyses performed after each step confirm the expected reaction and the ultimate growth of PNIPAAm brushes. Water contact-angle measurements conducted at temperatures below and above the lower critical solution temperature of PNIPAAm, coupled with adsorption of Au nanoparticles from aqueous suspension, demonstrate that the brushes retain their reversible thermoresponsive nature, thereby making PNIPAAm-functionalized PET microfibers suitable for filtration media, tissue scaffolds, delivery vehicles, and sensors requiring robust microfibers.

Preparation of monodispersed mesoporous silica spheres with tunable pore size and pore-size effects on adsorption of Au nanoparticles and urease

Monodispersed mesoporous silica spheres (MMSS) with controllable porosity and pore size were successfully prepared by calcination method in the presence of complex salts. The effect of calcination temperature on the pore size of MMSS was examined. The results show that the pore size of MMSS samples can be tuned in the range from 3.20 to 46.80nm by varying the calcination temperature. It is worth mentioning that the pore size of MMSS can be controlled on a much larger scale by this method compared to the templating approach, by which the pore size can only be expanded up to 10nm. It is very advantageous for the application in loading enzymes. Moreover, it could be found that the method is feasible, effective and simple. In addition, the use of various MMSS samples as adsorbents for Au nanoparticles of different sizes as well as urease has also been demonstrated. It was confirmed that MMSS with adequate surface charge and optimum matching pore size showed excellent adsorption properties for Au nanoparticles and urease.

Photochemical fabrication of size-controllable gold nanoparticles on chitosan and their application on catalytic decomposition of acetaldehyde

In this work, we report a new pathway to prepare size-controllable gold nanoparticles (NPs) on chitosan (Ch) in aqueous solutions for improving catalytic decomposition of acetaldehyde by pure gold NPs at room temperature. First, Au substrates were cycled in deoxygenated aqueous solutions containing 0.1N NaCl and 1 g/L Ch from −0.28 to +1.22 V vs Ag/AgCl at 500 mV/s for 200 scans. Then the solutions were irradiated with UV lights of different wavelengths to prepare size-controllable Au NPs on Ch. Experimental results indicate that the particle sizes of prepared NPs are increased when UV lights with longer wavelengths were employed. The particle sizes of resulted Au NPs can be controlled from 10 to 50 nm. Moreover, the decomposition of acetaldehydes in wines can be significantly enhanced by ca. 190% of magnitude due to the contribution of the adsorption of Au NPs on Ch.

Adsorption and aggregation of gold nanoparticles onto poly(4-vinylpyridine) film revealed by Raman spectroscopy

The adsorption and aggregation processes of Au nanoparticles on a poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) polymer surface has been investigated by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman scattering spectroscopy. According to the AFM images, the number of Au nanoparticles adsorbed on a P4VP film increased almost linearly with time up to 6 h of immersion time. On the other hand, the P4VP film was too thin to observe its normal Raman spectrum, but the Raman peaks of P4VP could be detected upon the adsorption of Au nanoparticles onto the film, definitely due to the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect associated with the localized surface plasmon of Au nanoparticles. Thereby, Au nanoparticles present in wet conditions on the P4VP film were shown to aggregate when the solvent was evaporated.

Crystal-Face-Selective Adsorption of Au Nanoparticles onto Polycrystalline Diamond Surfaces

Crystal-face-selective adsorption of Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) was achieved on polycrystalline boron-doped diamond (BDD) surface via the self-assembly method combined with a UV/ozone treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of crystal-face-selective adsorption on an inorganic solid surface. Hydrogen-plasma-treated BDD samples and those followed by UV/ozone treatment for 2 min or longer showed almost no adsorption of AuNP after immersion in the AuNP solution prepared by the citrate reduction method. However, the samples treated by UV/ozone for 10 s showed AuNP adsorption on their (111) facets selectively after the immersion. Moreover, the sample treated with UV/ozone for 40-60 s showed AuNP adsorption on the whole surface. These results indicate that the AuNP adsorption behavior can be controlled by UV/ozone treatment time. This phenomenon was highly reproducible and was applied to a two-step adsorption method, where AuNPs from different batches were adsorbed on the (111) and (100) surface in this order. Our findings may be of great value for the fabrication of advanced nanoparticle-based functional materials via bottom-up approaches with simple macroscale procedures.

Highly sensitive ZnO nanowire CO sensors with the adsorption of Au nanoparticles

In this study, the growth of high density single-crystalline ZnO nanowires on patternedZnO:Ga/SiO2/Si templates was reported. We also adsorbed Au nanoparticles onto nanowiresurfaces and fabricated ZnO nanowire CO sensors. With 50 ppm COgas, it was found that we could enhance the device sensitivities at350 °C from 4.2% to 46.5% by the adsorption of Au nanoparticles. It was also found that measuredsensitivities were around 30%, 37%, 46.5% and 53% when concentration of the injected COgas was 5, 20, 50 and 100 ppm, respectively.

Synthesis and adsorption properties of gold nanoparticles within pores of surface‐functional porous polymer microspheres

AbstractMesoporous polymer microspheres with gold (Au) nanoparticles inside their pores were prepared considering their surface functionality and porosity. The Au/polymer composite microspheres prepared were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) techniques. The results showed that the adsorption of Au nanoparticles could be increased by imparting the pore structure and surface‐functional groups into the supporting polymer microspheres (in this study, poly (ethylene glycol dimethacrylate‐co‐acrylonitrile) and poly (EGDMA‐co‐AN) system). Above all, from this study, it was established that the porosity of the polymer microspheres is the most important factor that determines the distribution and adsorption amount of face‐centered cubic (fcc) Au nanoparticles in the final products. Our study showed that the continuous adsorption of Au nanoparticles with the aid of the large surface area and surface interaction sites formed more favorably the Au/polymer composite microspheres. The BET measurements of Au/poly(EGDMA‐co‐AN) composite microspheres reveals that the adsorption of Au nanoparticles into the pores kept the pore structure intact and made it more porous. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5627–5635, 2004