Development of a simplified approach for the fabrication of localised surface plasmon resonance sensors based on gold nanorods functionalized using mixed polyethylene glycol layers

Jing-Hong Pai; Chih-Tsung Yang; Hung-Yao Hsu; A Bruce Wedding; Benjamin Thierry

doi:10.1016/j.aca.2017.04.015

Development of a simplified approach for the fabrication of localised surface plasmon resonance sensors based on gold nanorods functionalized using mixed polyethylene glycol layers

Anal Chim Acta. 2017 Jun 29:974:87-92. doi: 10.1016/j.aca.2017.04.015. Epub 2017 Apr 10.

Authors

Jing-Hong Pai¹, Chih-Tsung Yang², Hung-Yao Hsu³, A Bruce Wedding³, Benjamin Thierry⁴

Affiliations

¹ Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia; School of Engineering, ITEE, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.
² Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.
³ School of Engineering, ITEE, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.
⁴ Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio and Nano Science and Technology, Australia. Electronic address: Benjamin.thierry@unisa.edu.au.

PMID: 28535885
DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2017.04.015

Abstract

A simplified approach for the fabrication of localised surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) sensors based on gold nanorods (GNRs) is described and validated in a model immunoassay for the activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM) cancer biomarker. Towards improving on standard bottom-up LSPR sensor fabrication methodologies, we demonstrate that GNRs bioconjugated with monoclonal antibodies can be readily covalently immobilized onto silanized glass substrates to yield highly sensitive LSPR sensors. To maximise the performance of the proposed sensors, mixed polyethylene glycol adlayers were optimized in regards to the bioconjugation of monoclonal antibodies using the standard carbodiimide chemistry. In the optimal condition, the ALCAM GNR LSPR sensors yielded a sensitivity of 330 nm per refractive index and allowed the detection of the ALCAM antigen concentration down to 15 pM. This simple fabrication method could foster the implementation of LSPR sensors in the immunoassay field.

Keywords: Biosensing; Gold nanorods; Immunoassay; Localised surface plasmon resonance; Surface modification.

MeSH terms

Antibodies, Monoclonal / chemistry
Biosensing Techniques*
Gold*
Immunoassay*
Nanotubes*
Polyethylene Glycols / chemistry*
Surface Plasmon Resonance*

Substances

Antibodies, Monoclonal
Polyethylene Glycols
Gold