title: Trace cancer biomarker quantification using polystyrene-functionalized gold nanorods.
abstract: We demonstrate the application of polystyrene-functionalized gold nanorods (AuNRs) as a platform for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) quantification of the exogenous cancer biomarker Acetyl Amantadine (AcAm). We utilize the hydrophobicity of the polystyrene attached to the AuNR surface to capture the hydrophobic AcAm from solution, followed by drying and detection using SERS. We achieve a detection limit of 16 ng/mL using this platform. This result shows clinical potential for low-cost early cancer detection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 2Y2, Canada.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3V6, Canada.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 2Y2, Canada.
authors.forename: Ghazal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hajisalem
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 Saint George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada.
authors.forename: Ariella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lukach
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 Saint George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada.
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kumacheva
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3V6, Canada.
authors.forename: Fraser
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hof
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 2Y2, Canada.
authors.forename: Reuven
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gordon
keywords: (240.6680) Surface plasmons; (240.6695) Surface-enhanced Raman scattering; (280.4788) Optical sensing and sensors