title: Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Active Plasmonic Nanoparticles with Ultrasmall Interior Nanogap for Multiplex Quantitative Detection and Cancer Cell Imaging.
abstract: Due to its large enhancement effect, nanostructure-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technology had been widely applied for bioanalysis and cell imaging. However, most SERS nanostructures suffer from poor signal reproducibility, which hinders the application of SERS nanostructures in quantitative detection. We report an etching-assisted approach to synthesize SERS-active plasmonic nanoparticles with 1 nm interior nanogap for multiplex quantitative detection and cancer cell imaging. Raman dyes and methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) thiol (mPEG-SH) were attached to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to prepare gold cores. Next, Ag atoms were deposited on gold cores in the presence of Pluronic F127 to form a Ag shell. HAuCl4 was used to etch the Ag shell and form an interior nanogap in Au@AgAuNPs, leading to increased Raman intensity of dyes. SERS intensity distribution of Au@AgAuNPs was found to be more uniform than that of aggregated AuNPs. Finally, Au@AgAuNPs were used for multiplex quantitative detection and cancer cell imaging. With the advantages of simple and rapid preparation of Au@AgAuNPs with highly uniform, stable, and reproducible Raman intensity, the method reported here will widen the applications of SERS-active nanoparticles in diagnostics and imaging.
authors.affiliation: The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University , Xiamen 361005, China.
authors.forename: Jiuxing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University , Xiamen 361005, China.
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University , Xiamen 361005, China.
authors.forename: Bingqing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University , Xiamen 361005, China.
authors.forename: Yanli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University , Xiamen 361005, China.
authors.forename: Bingqian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University , Xiamen 361005, China.
authors.forename: Rudi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University , Xiamen 361005, China.
authors.forename: Yanling
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University , Xiamen 361005, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University , Xiamen 361005, China.
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.affiliation: The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University , Xiamen 361005, China.
authors.forename: Chaoyong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002712:Chlorides / Q000737:chemistry; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005840:Gentian Violet / Q000737:chemistry; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry; D017612:Gold Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D057230:Limit of Detection; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D002712:Chlorides; D017612:Gold Compounds; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D012834:Silver; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D006046:Gold; C024568:gold tetrachloride, acid; C028210:monomethoxypolyethylene glycol; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D005840:Gentian Violet