title: Controlled Permeability in Porous Polymer Nanocapsules Enabling Size- and Charge-Selective SERS Nanoprobes.
abstract: Nanoprobes for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) were prepared by creating nanorattles, or yolk-shell structures, containing gold or silver nanoparticles entrapped in porous hollow polymer nanocapsules. Controlled permeability of the shells of nanocapsules, achieved by controlling the pore size and/or shell surface functionalization, resulted in size- and charge-selective SERS analyses. For example, a trace amount of phenanthroline, a model analyte, was detected in human blood plasma without preprocessing of plasma samples. Comparison with commercially available nanoparticles showed superior performance of the newly prepared nanorattle structures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Saint Louis University , 3501 Laclede Ave., St. Louis, Missouri 63103, United States.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut , 55 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States.
authors.forename: Sergey N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Shmakov
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut , 55 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States.
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pinkhassik
keywords: SERS; charge selectivity; polymer nanocapsules; size selectivity; yolk−shell nanostructure