Color Change Of Gold Nanoparticles Research Articles

TMB+-mediated etching of urchin-like gold nanostructures for colorimetric sensing

The morphology-dependent localized surface plasmon resonance of gold nanostructures has been widely utilized for designing sensors. One method relies on the color change of gold nanoparticles upon etching. In previous work, TMB2+ oxidized from 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) was found to etch gold nanorods (AuNRs), leading to a spectrum of different colors. However, the preparation of TMB2+ needs the addition of a strong acid and other harsh conditions. Herein, a new colorimetric biosensing platform was developed using urchin-like gold nanoparticles (AuNUs). Compared with AuNRs, the etching of AuNUs can happen under mild conditions by TMB+ at pH 6, protecting enzymes and proteins from denaturation. The role of CTAB surfactant was dissected, and its bromide ions were found to be involved in the etching process. Based on these observations, a one-step colorimetric detection of H2O2 was realized by using horseradish peroxidase and H2O2 to oxidize TMB. Within 30 min, this system achieved a detection limit of 80 nM H2O2. This work offered fundamental insights into the etching of anisotropic gold nanostructures and optimized the etching conditions. These advancements hold promise for broader applications in biosensing and analytical chemistry.

Bifunctional Y-shaped probe combined with dual amplification for colorimetric sensing and molecular logic operation of two miRNAs

The abnormal expression of miRNA is closely related to various human diseases. In particular, the sensitivity detection of miRNA expression level is of great significance for the early diagnosis and prognosis of cancer. In this paper, we designed a Y-shaped DNA probe, using miRNA-21 and miRNA-141 as the dual input signals of AND logic gate. By combining with EXO III assisted target recycle and DNA hybridization chain reaction (HCR), we have realized dual signal amplification for detection of two miRNAs. In short, the Y-shaped DNA probe consists of two parts: the miRNA target binding region and the HCR initiator. When the two miRNAs are present at the same time, the target binding region specifically recognizes the target to generate two circulators, and then the HCR initiator is released. The EXO III specific cleavage two circulator, and release the target again which achieves the first step of signal amplification. After that, HCR was started by the split initiator generated in the first stage of continuous cycle, and the second step of signal amplification was realized. Thanks to the sensitive color change of gold nanoparticles in response to salt, we achieved ultra-high sensitivity for visual detection of miRNA-21 and miRNA-141. Under optimal conditions, the detection limit of both miRNA is 3 pM and the linear range is 10 pM to 0.4 nM. The method we designed could be applied in early detection and diagnosis of cancer.

Colorimetric detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by aptamer-functionalized gold nanoparticles.

Novel rapid methodologies for the detection of bacteria have been recently investigated and applied. In hospital environments, infections by pathogens are very common and can cause serious health problems. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most common bacteria, which can grow in hospital equipment such as catheters and respirators. Even at low concentrations, it can cause severe infections as it is resistant to antibiotics and other treatments. Based on this subject's relevance, this work aimed to develop a colorimetric biosensor using aptamer-functionalized gold nanoparticles for identifying P. aeruginosa. The detection mechanism is based on the color change of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) from red to blue-purple through NaCl induction after bacteria incubation and aptamer-target binding. First, AuNPs were synthesized and characterized. The influence of aptamer and sodium chloride concentration on the agglomeration of AuNPs was investigated. Optimization of aptamer concentration and salt addition were performed. The best condition for detection was 5µM aptamers and 200mM of NaCl. In this case, P. aeruginosa was detected after 5h for concentrations from 108 to 105CFUmL-1, being 105 and 104CFUmL-1 the detection limit for color change by the naked eye and UV-Vis spectrometry, respectively. In addition, other bacteria such as E. coli, S. typhimurium, and Enterobacteriaceae bacterium were also detected with color changing from red to gray. Finally, it was confirmed that the salt incubation time can be 2h, and that the ideal aptamer concentration is 5µM. Thus, the colorimetric analysis can be a simple and fast detection method for P. aeruginosa in the range of 108 to 105CFUmL-1 to the naked eye. KEY POINTS: • A new method for rapid detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa • Aptamers conjugated with gold nanoparticles allow pathogen detection by colorimetry • No need for previous surface modification of nanoparticles.

Cysteine-Encapsulated Liposome for Investigating Biomolecular Interactions at Lipid Membranes.

The development of a strategy to investigate interfacial phenomena at lipid membranes is practically useful because most essential biomolecular interactions occur at cell membranes. In this study, a colorimetric method based on cysteine-encapsulated liposomes was examined using gold nanoparticles as a probe to provide a platform to report an enzymatic activity at lipid membranes. The cysteine-encapsulated liposomes were prepared with varying ratios of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) and cholesterol through the hydration of lipid films and extrusions in the presence of cysteine. The size, composition, and stability of resulting liposomes were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and UV-vis spectrophotometry. The results showed that the increased cholesterol content improved the stability of liposomes, and the liposomes were formulated with 60 mol % cholesterol for the subsequent experiments. Triton X-100 was tested to disrupt the lipid membranes to release the encapsulated cysteine from the liposomes. Cysteine can induce the aggregation of gold nanoparticles accompanying a color change, and the colorimetric response of gold nanoparticles to the released cysteine was investigated in various media. Except in buffer solutions at around pH 5, the cysteine-encapsulated liposomes showed the color change of gold nanoparticles only after being incubated with Triton X-100. Finally, the cysteine-encapsulated liposomal platform was tested to report the enzymatic activity of phospholipase A2 that hydrolyzes phospholipids in the membrane. The hydrolysis of phospholipids triggered the release of cysteine from the liposomes, and the released cysteine was successfully detected by monitoring the distinct red-to-blue color change of gold nanoparticles. The presence of phospholipase A2 was also confirmed by the appearance of a peak around 690 nm in the UV-vis spectra, which is caused by the cysteine-induced aggregation of gold nanoparticles. The results demonstrated that the cysteine-encapsulated liposome has the potential to be used to investigate biological interactions occurring at lipid membranes.

A label-free visual aptasensor for zearalenone detection based on target-responsive aptamer-cross-linked hydrogel and color change of gold nanoparticles

ZEN-responsive hydrogel was prepared using ZEN aptamer and a cationic conjugated skeleton which was formed by the electrostatic interaction between acrylamide and poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA). In the presence of ZEN, the binding of aptamer and ZEN caused the hydrogel to dissociate, releasing the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) encapsulated in the hydrogel into supernatant, whose color changes serving as response instructions were observed by eyes. To realize low dose visual detection, the TMB-H2O2 was used for quantitative readout by AuNPs released from the hydrogel which can efficiently catalyze the reaction to generate a obvious change.There was a good linear relationship between the changed absorbance and concentration of ZEN within 2.5–100 ng/mL, a detection limit of 0.98 ng/mL, recovery rates of 98.8%-101.3% and 99.8%-101.5% for corns and beer, respectively. This developed sensing strategy would provide a promising application for other mycotoxins by replacing the corresponding aptamer sequences.

Kanamycin Adsorption on Gold Nanoparticles Dominates Its Label-Free Colorimetric Sensing with Its Aptamer.

A short kanamycin-binding aptamer has been widely used for detecting kanamycin. One of the popular signaling methods is based on the color change of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to develop label-free colorimetric biosensors. The general perception was that aptamer binding to its target would inhibit aptamer adsorption by the AuNPs. This inhibited adsorption results in the aggregation of the AuNPs and a color change upon addition of salt. However, the potential adsorption of kanamycin was ignored. Herein, we carefully studied the adsorption of kanamycin on AuNPs and performed a comprehensive analysis using two mutated aptamers and a randomly sequenced DNA which were not supposed to bind kanamycin. In addition, a total of six antibiotics were studied over a wide concentration range. As low as 90 nM kanamycin can induce the aggregation of 3 nM citrate-capped AuNPs, indicating very strong adsorption of kanamycin. The color change was independent of DNA sequence, and all the tested sequences showed a similar color response, regardless of aptamer. Among the different antibiotics, kanamycin and streptomycin induced a color change but not the other four. Our results support an alternative mechanism that kanamycin and streptomycin adsorption by the AuNPs was the main reason for the color change instead of aptamer binding.

Magnetic bead-based electrochemical and colorimetric assays of circulating tumor cells with boronic acid derivatives as the recognition elements and signal probes

Simple, sensitive and rapid detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is of great importance for early diagnosis and therapy of cancers. Overexpression of sugar units on cell surface is related to the phenotypes of many cancers. Based on the boronate ester interaction, we reported the electrochemical and colorimetric detection of CTCs with high simplicity and sensitivity. Specifically, ferroceneboronic acid (FcBA) can be measured by differential pulse voltammetry and 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid (MPBA) can induce the aggregation and color change of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). CTCs captured by the aptamer-modified magnetic beads (Apt-MBs) can sequestrate FcBA or MPBA molecules by the formation of boronate ester bonds, thus leading to the decrease in the electrochemical signal of FcBA or preventing the MPBA-triggered aggregation of AuNPs. Due to the overexpression of sugar groups on the surface of CTCs, the amplification-free methods exhibited high sensitivity and obviated the use of additional antibody or aptamer for the recognition of captured cells. With MCF-7 cancer cell as the model, 50 cells can be readily determined by the electrochemical and colorimetric methods. The proposed strategy is valuable for probing of cell glycosylation and designing of novel sensing devices for detection of sugar-containing biological macromolecules and cells.

Facile detection of Pb2+ based on gold nanoparticles functionalized by specific receptor proteins

A facile colorimetric Pb2+ assay system has been developed based on the visible color change of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) modified with α2-microglobulin (α2M) protein. The α2M protein is a soluble and high-affinity receptor for Pb2+, which is well studied and regarded as the comparable positive control in Pb-binding protein researches. It was obtained through purifying recombinant protein from the expression of recombinant plasmids in Escherichia coli and was attached on GNPs to form GNPs-α2M sensor nanoparticles for detecting Pb2+, which has never been used for sensing Pb2+ in previous studies. When Pb2+ was introduced into the assay system, GNPs-α2M sensor nanoparticles can be triggered aggregation with the color change from pink to blue. The detection system exhibited good selectivity and sensitivity, which was attributed to the receptor specificity of α2M protein. Using this assay system, it can be distinguished 1.00 μM concentration of Pb2+ or more by naked eyes clearly. Furthermore, the UV-Vis absorbance ratio between 620 and 523 nm exhibited linearity relationship with the concentration of Pb2+ from 0.05 to 3 μM in assay system. In this research, GNPs-α2M sensor nanoparticles have highly specific capability to recognize Pb2+. The assay system constituted by GNPs-α2M sensor nanoparticles displays excellent convenience, selectivity, and sensitivity that provide promising potentials for on-site rapid test of Pb2+.

A novel colorimetric assay for calcium ion and calmodulin detection based on gold nanoparticles

A facile and reliable colorimetric method for detection of calcium ion and calmodulin was developed, which is based on the calcium ion-induced aggregation of gold nanoparticles, accompanied by an obvious color change from red to blue-purple. Calcium ion can be detected in the concentration range from 2.5 to 37.5 µmol·L−1 with a 0.6 µmol·L−1 detection limit. Calmodulin can preferentially capture calcium ion to inhibit the aggregation and the color changes of gold nanoparticles, and can be determined with a 0.8 µg·mL−1 detection limit over the concentration range from 0 to 33.6 µg·mL−1.

Highly selective, colorimetric detection of Hg2+ based on three color changes of AuNPs solution from red through sandy beige to celandine green

A new colorimetric method of detecting Hg2+ in aqueous solutions was proposed, based on the three color changes of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with the assistance of ascorbic acid (AA) and multi-sulfhydryl functionalized hyperbranched polyethylenimine (SH-HPEI). The mechanism of sensing is based on the formation of Au-Hg alloy and its aggregation, along with the corresponding three color changes from red (AuNPs) through sandy beige (Au-Hg alloy) to celandine green (larger Au-Hg alloy). Compared with usual colorimetric assays with only one color change progress from red to blue or red to purple of reported AuNPs, this assay is highly selective for Hg2+ detection due to the fact that the appearing probability of identical three color changes triggered by interfering agents or the possibility of false positive results is very, very low. The detection limit of 8.76×10−9M is lower than the guideline value of Hg2+ (30nM) in drinking water defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). Meanwhile, the concentration range (from 8.76×10−9 to 1.27×10−4M) of this new detection method is the widest one that has been reported. Moreover, this method is successfully applied to detecting Hg2+ in real water sample. More importantly, this novel colorimetric sensor based on multiple color changes may open a new avenue for the development of Hg2+ sensing probes.

Effect of pH on the Stability of Gold Nanoparticles and Their Application for Melamine Detection in Infant Formula

A simple and sensitive colorimetric gold nanoparticle probe for detection of melamine in infant formula was developed by the reduction of Au(III) salt with sodium citrate. This method is rather simple that does not involve any surface modification of the nanoparticles or multistep sample treatment. This technique is based on the fact that the optical properties of gold nanoparticles depend on distance between particles. Gold nanoparticles are aggregated in a neutral media in the presence of melamine; this causes an easily measurable change in the absorption spectrum of the particles, which can be monitored with the naked eye or UV-vis spectrophotometer. Here, the color of gold nanoparticles changed from wine red to blue in the presence of melamine and no color change was observed before melamine was introduced into the milk sample. The observed color change is the result of the coupling of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) between particles in close proximity. This method is also sensitive and a limit of detection of 0.90 ppm of melamine was obtained with the UV-vis spectrophotometer in aqueous solution and 0.46 ppm of melamine was detected visually with the naked eye in a solution of infant formula. Keywords: Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), infant formula, melamine, pH stability, Surface plasmon resonance (SPR), TEM, UV-vis -1 ) in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum (13). This unique SPR depends on size, shape, the refractive indices of the surrounding media and the distance between particles (13). The solutions of smaller gold nanoparticles appear wine red in their dispersed state and larger particles or in their aggregate forms appear purple or blue. The observed color changes are associated with the shift in the surface resonance band to longer wavelengths in the aggregated state and can easily be observed visually with the naked eye. We take advantage of these analyte-induced color changes of gold nanoparticles for visual detection of melamine in infant formula without the need for an expensive and complex instrumentation. In this report, we studied the effect of pH on the stability of gold nanoparticles and their application for the detection of melamine in infant formula. As stated above, the method of detection depends on color change of gold nanoparticles from wine red to blue when mixed with melamine. This method involves simple treatment of the infant formula with trichloroacetic acid to remove proteins which otherwise may interfere with the detection of melamine. Furthermore, the method is fast and highly sensitive.

Programmed Colorimetric Logic Devices Based on DNA–Gold Nanoparticle Interactions

A system including nucleic acid strands and unmodified gold nanopartcles is activated to perform programmed logic functions, using pH and DNA as inputs and the plasmonic-related color change of gold nanoparticles as the output. The complexity of the logic devices can be simply enhanced by appropriate engineering.

A simple set-and-mix assay for screening of protein kinase inhibitors in cell lysates

Here we developed a simple set-and-mix assay to perform high-throughput screening of protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitors from the LOPAC 1280 compound library. This assay is based on the color change of gold nanoparticles on aggregation induced by a cationic substrate peptide as coagulant. In spite of the simplicity of this assay system, this assay can be applied to drug screening based on cellular kinases. We successfully found several highly active inhibitors, including compounds that have not been reported before.

Colorimetric detection of mercury, lead and copper ions simultaneously using protein-functionalized gold nanoparticles

A simple, cost-effective and rapid colorimetric method for any or all of Hg 2+, Pb 2+ and Cu 2+ detection using papain-functionalized gold nanoparticles (P-AuNPs) has been developed. Papain is a protein with seven cystein residues, which can selectively bind with Hg 2+, Pb 2+ and Cu 2+. We functionalized gold nanoparticles with papain. The P-AuNPs could be used to simultaneously detect Hg 2+, Pb 2+ and Cu 2+, and showed different responses to the three ions in an aqueous solution based on the aggregation-induced color change of gold nanoparticles. The P-AuNPs displayed the most obvious response to mercury ions in water in contrast to lead and copper ions, and the real water sample analysis verified the conclusion. The sensitivity of the detection system was influenced by the pH of the P-AuNPs solution, the concentration of P-AuNPs and the size of gold nanoparticles, and we found that larger gold nanoparticles contributed to more sensitive results. The detection system can detect as low as 200 nM Hg 2+, Pb 2+ or Cu 2+ using 42 nm gold nanoparticles. We expect our approach to have wide-ranging applications in the developing region for monitoring water quality in some areas.

Gold nanoparticle-based colorimetric assay of single-nucleotide polymorphism of triplex DNA

Triplex DNA technology has been considered as an attractive antigen strategy for the treatment of genetic-based diseases. Assay of the formation of triplex is an important part in the development of triplex technology. In this paper, we present a novel method to assay triplex DNA. The strategy is based on the unspecific interaction between single-stranded triplex-forming oligonucleotide (TFO) and negatively charged gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). While triplex is formed, gold nanoparticles will aggregate without the protection of triplex-forming oligonucleotide under a certain concentration of salt. Consequently, the color of the gold nanoparticles will change from red to blue. The formation of triplex DNA and the discrimination of triplex-forming oligonucleotide candidates are thereby easily monitored by the color changes of gold nanoparticles. Also by precisely controlling the working salt concentration, we are allowed to assay single-nucleotide polymorphism of triplex-forming oligonucleotides. Mismatched variants and length variants of triplex-forming oligonucleotides with single-nucleotide or double-nucleotides differences can be well discriminated. This method presented here is simple, fast, and with considerable selectivity, so we expect it will be a promising candidate for the assay of triplex DNA and the screening of appropriate triplex-forming oligonucleotide.

Hydrogen-Bonding Recognition-Induced Color Change of Gold Nanoparticles for Visual Detection of Melamine in Raw Milk and Infant Formula

The color change induced by triple hydrogen-bonding recognition between melamine and a cyanuric acid derivative grafted on the surface of gold nanoparticles can be used for reliable detection of melamine. Since such a color change can be readily seen by the naked eye, the method enables on-site and real-time detection of melamine in raw milk and infant formula even at a concentration as low as 2.5 ppb without the aid of any advanced instruments.

Label-free detection of specific DNA sequence-telomere using unmodified gold nanoparticles as colorimetric probes

A simple and sensitive label-free colorimetric detection of telomere DNA has been developed. It was based on the color change of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) due to DNA hybridization. UV–vis spectra and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to investigate the change of AuNPs. Under the optimized conditions, the linear range for determination of telomere DNA was 5.7 × 10 −13 to 4.5 × 10 −6 mol/L. The detection limit (3 σ) of this method has decreased to pico-molar level.

DNAzyme-based colorimetric sensing of lead(Pb2+) using unmodified gold nanoparticle probes

Novel functional oligonucleotides, especially DNAzymes with RNA-cleavage activity,have been intensively studied due to their potential applications in therapeuticsand sensors. Taking advantage of the high specificity of 17E DNAzyme forPb2+,highly sensitive and selective fluorescent, electrochemical and colorimetric sensors have been developedfor Pb2+. In this work, we report a simple, sensitive and label-free 17E DNAzyme-based sensor forPb2+ detection using unmodified gold nanoparticles (GNPs) based on the fact that unfoldedsingle-stranded DNA could be adsorbed on the citrate protected GNPs while double-strandedDNA could not. By our method the substrate cleavage by the 17E DNAzyme in the presence ofPb2+ could be monitored by color change of GNPs, therebyPb2+ detection was realized.The detection of Pb2+ could be realized within 20 min, with a detection limit of 500 nM. The selectivity of our sensorhas been investigated by challenging the sensing system with other divalent metal ions. Sincecommon steps such as modification and separation could be successfully avoided, the sensordeveloped here could provide a simple, cost-effective yet rapid and sensitive measurement tool forPb2+ detection and may prove useful in the development of sensors for clinical toxicology andenvironmental monitoring in the future.

Gold Nanoparticles as a Colorimetric Sensor for Protein Conformational Changes

Spherical gold nanoparticles and flat gold films are prepared in which yeast iso-1-cytochrome c (Cyt c) is covalently bound to the gold surface by a thiol group in the cystein 102 residue. Upon exposure to solutions of different pH, bound Cyt c unfolds at low pH and refolds at high pH. This conformational change causes measurable shifts in the color of the coated nanoparticle solutions detected by UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy and in the refractive index (RI) of the flat gold films detected by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy. Both experiments demonstrate the same trend with pH, suggesting the use of protein-covered gold nanoparticles as a simple colorimetric sensor for conformational change.

Accelerated color change of gold nanoparticles assembled by DNAzymes for simple and fast colorimetric Pb2+ detection.

The combination of high metal selectivity of DNAzymes with the strong distance-dependent optical properties of metallic nanoparticles has presented considerable opportunities for designing colorimetric sensors for metal ions. We previously communicated a design for a colorimetric lead sensor based on the assembly of gold nanoparticles by a Pb(2+)-dependent DNAzyme. However, heating to 50 degrees C followed by a cooling process of approximately 2 h was required to observe the color change. Herein we report a new improved design that allows fast (<10 min) detection of Pb(2+) at ambient temperature. This improvement of sensor performance is a result of detailed studies of the DNAzyme and nanoparticles, which identified "tail-to-tail" nanoparticle alignment, and large (42 nm diameter) nanoparticle size as the major determining factors in allowing fast color changes. The optimal conditions for other factors such as temperature (35 degrees C) and concentrations of the DNAzyme (2 microM), its substrate (3 nM), and NaCl (300 mM) have also been determined. These results demonstrate that fundamental understanding of the DNAzyme biochemistry and nanoparticle science can lead to dramatically improved colorimetric sensors.