Immobilization of gold nanorods onto acid-terminated self-assembled monolayers via electrostatic interactions

We report the immobilization of gold nanorods onto self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid (16-MHA). The simple two step protocol involves formation of a SAM of 16-MHA molecules onto gold-coated glass slides and subsequent immersion of these slides into the gold nanorod solution. The nanorods, formed by a seed-mediated, surfactant-assisted synthesis protocol, are stabilized in solution due to surface modification by the surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). Attractive electrostatic interactions between the carboxylic acid group on the SAM and the positively charged CTAB molecules are likely responsible for the nanorod immobilization. UV-vis spectroscopy has been used to follow the kinetics of the nanorod immobilization. The nature of interaction between the gold nanorods and the 16-MHA SAM has been probed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The surface morphology of the immobilized rods is studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements. SEM was also used to determine the density of the immobilized nanorods as a function of the pH of immobilization. Control over the surface coverage of the immobilized gold nanorods has been demonstrated by simple pH variation. Such well-dispersed immobilized gold nanorods with control over the surface coverage could be interesting substrates for applications such as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).     

Biotin-streptavidin-induced aggregation of gold nanorods: tuning rod-rod orientation

We report herein biotin-streptavidin-mediated aggregation studies of long gold nanorods. We have previously demonstrated end-to-end linkages of gold nanorods driven by the biotin-streptavidin interaction (Caswell et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 13914). In that report, the specific binding of biotin disulfide to the gold nanorod edges was achieved due to the preferred binding of thiol molecules to the Au[111] surface (gold nanorod ends) as opposed to the gold nanorod side faces. This led to the end-end linkage of gold nanorods upon subsequent addition of streptavidin. In this report we demonstrate a simple procedure to biotinylate the entire gold nanorod surface and subsequently form a 3-D assembly by addition of streptavidin. Gold nanorods were synthesized by the three-step seeding protocol documented in our previous articles. The surface of gold nanorods was further modified by a layer of a weak polyelectrolyte, poly(acrylic acid), PAA. A biotin molecule which has an amine group at one end (biotin-PEO-amine) was anchored to the carboxylic acid group of the polyelectrolyte using the well-known carbodiimide chemistry. This process biotinylates the entire gold nanorod surface. Addition of streptavidin further leads to aggregation of gold nanorods. A closer look at the aggregates reveals a preferential side-to-side assembly of gold nanorods. The gold nanorods were characterized at each stage by UV-vis spectroscopy, light scattering, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements.     

Short gold nanorod growth revisited: the critical role of the bromide counterion

A one-step, surfactant-assisted, seed-mediated method has been utilized for the growth of short gold nanorods with reasonable yield by modifying an established synthesis protocol. Among the various parameters that influence nanorod growth, the impact of the bromide counterion has been closely scrutinized. During this study it has been shown that, irrespective of its origin, the bromide counterion [cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) or NaBr] plays a crucial role in the formation of nanorods in the sense that there is a critical [Br(-)]/[Au(3+)] ratio (around 200) to achieve nanorods with a maximum aspect ratio. Beyond this value, bromide can be considered as a poisoning agent unless shorter nanorods are required. The use of AgNO(3) helps in symmetry breaking for gold nanorod growth, whereas the bromide counterion controls the growth kinetics by selective adsorption on the facets of the growth direction. Thus, a proper balance between bromide ions and gold cations is also one of the necessary parameters for controlling the size of the gold nanorods; this has been discussed thoroughly. The results have been discussed based on their absorption spectra and finally shape evolution has been confirmed by TEM. Due to their efficient absorption in the near-IR region, these short nanorods were used in photothermal imaging of living COS-7 cells with improved signal-to-background ratios.     

High-temperature seedless synthesis of gold nanorods

We demonstrate seedless synthesis of gold nanorods at high temperatures up to 97 degrees C. Using the correct silver nitrate concentration is crucial for formation of rod-shaped particles at all temperatures. We observed a decrease of nanorod length with increasing temperature, while the width stays constant throughout the temperature range. From kinetics studies, we show 3 orders of magnitude increase in nanorod growth rate when the temperature is raised from room temperature to 97 degrees C. From the temperature dependence of the growth rate, we obtain a average activation energy for growth on all facets of 90 +/- 10 kJ mol(-1). High-temperature synthesis of gold nanorods presents a more attractive method for scalable flow-based production of gold nanorods.     

Spectrally-resolved atomic-scale length variations of gold nanorods

Functionality of gold nanorod structures as ultra-sensitive optical rulers is demonstrated. Arrays of gold nanorods were fabricated by electron beam lithography and lift-off techniques with high accuracy and uniformity. Their longitudinal plasmon scattering spectra were found to exhibit extreme sensitivity to the length of the nanorods. This phenomenon enables optical detection of the nanorod length variations comparable to the thickness of a few atomic layers of gold.     

Azide-derivatized gold nanorods: functional materials for "click" chemistry

We describe herein the synthesis of functional gold nanorods suitable for carrying out "click" chemistry reactions. Gold nanorods modified with a copolymer containing sulfonate and maleic acid groups have been conjugated to a bifunctional azide molecule (amine-PEG-azide). The maleic acid molecules in the copolymer participate in carbodiimide-mediated amide bond formation with amine groups of the azide linker, whereas the sulfonate groups prevent nanorod aggregation in water. Spectroscopic and zeta-potential measurements have been used to confirm the successful surface modification of the gold nanorods. These azide-functionalized nanorods can carry out chemical reactions based on click chemistry. As a case study, we have demonstrated the "clicking" of azide-nanorods to an acetylene-functionalized enzyme, trypsin, by a copper-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction. The enzyme is not only stable after bioconjugation but is also biologically active, as demonstrated by its digestion of the protein casein. For comparison, the biological activity of trypsin conjugated to gold nanorods by two other commonly used methods (carbodiimide-mediated covalent attachment via amide bond formation and simple electrostatic adsorption) has been studied. The enzyme conjugated by click chemistry demonstrates improved biological activity compared with other forms of bioconjugation. This general and simple approach is easy, specific with higher yields, environmentally benign, and applicable to a wide range of analytes and biomolecules.     

Nanoplasmonic Nanorods/Nanowires from Single to Assembly: Syntheses,Physical Mechanisms and Applications

Gold nanorods are anisotropic and exhibit different optical characteristics in both transverse and longitudinal directions, so the plasmon resonance in the near‐infrared region will reflect two absorption peaks. Because of strong enhancements of electromagnetic fields of gold nanorods, gold nanorods are widely used in medical treatment, biological detection, sensors, solar cells and other fields. Since rapid developments of gold nanorods, it is necessary to sort out the recent achievements. In this review, we select three classifications of single nanorods/nanowires, dimers and assembled nanorods to introduce their syntheses methods, optical properties and applications respectively. We firstly overview the history of nanorods/nanowires syntheses and summarize the improvement of the commonly utilized seed‐mediated growth synthesis method; and then, physically, nano‐plasmonic and optical properties of single and assembled nanorod/nanowires are concluded in detail. Lastly, we mainly summarize the recent advances in applications and provide perspective in different fields.     

Aligned arrays of nanotubes and segmented nanotubes on substrates fabricated by electrodeposition onto nanorods

We describe an electrochemical-based approach to create vertically aligned nanotube arrays on substrates. Initially, nanoporous anodic alumina films are used as templates to electrodeposit nanorods, and then the alumina templates are removed and nanotube arrays are electrodeposited using the nanorod arrays as templates. We have used this approach to fabricate gold nanotube arrays using nickel nanorods as templates. By anodizing the ends of the nickel nanorods before gold electrodeposition, no deposition occurs at the ends of the rods, resulting in open-ended nanotubes. In addition, we have used layered nickel-gold nanorods as templates to create gold nanostructure arrays with alternating segments of filled and empty nanotubes. This approach is versatile and may be used to electrodeposit a wide range of nanotube materials with good control over the nanotube dimensions.     

Single-molecule detection of DNA via sequence-specific links between F1-ATPase motors and gold nanorod sensors

We report the construction of a novel biosensing nanodevice to detect single, sequence-specific target DNA molecules. Nanodevice assembly occurs through the association of an immobilized F1-ATPase molecular motor and a functionalized gold nanorod via a single 3',5'-dibiotinylated DNA molecule. Target-dependent 3',5'-dibiotinylated DNA bridges form by combining ligation and exonucleation reactions (LXR), with a specificity capable of selecting against a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). Using dark field microscopy to detect gold nanorods, quantitation of assembled nanodevices is sufficient to distinguish the presence of as few as 1800 DNA bridges from nonspecifically bound nanorods. The rotary mechanism of F1-ATPase can drive gold nanorod rotation when the nanorod is attached via the DNA bridge. Therefore, rotation discriminates fully assembled devices from nonspecifically bound nanorods, resulting in a sensitivity limit of one zeptomole (600 molecules).     

The Early Life of Gold Nanorods: Temporal Separation of Anisotropic and Isotropic Growth Modes

Gold nanorods (AuNRs) are a particularly interesting class of nanomaterials because their dimensions and size-dependent optical properties make them ideally suited for many applications. AuNRs are typically synthesized using seeded growth approaches, in which a small spherical gold nanoparticle seed grows anisotropically into a rod-shaped particle. Using AuNRs themselves as seeds for the growth of other anisotropic shapes has been demonstrated but is relatively little-explored. In this study, we show that AuNRs grown using a common method (silver-assisted seeded growth) cannot be used as seeds in the synthesis of higher aspect ratio AuNRs. Instead, the seed AuNRs grow isotropically, providing a new synthetic approach to precisely tune the absolute dimensions of the final AuNRs. We furthermore show that the dimensions of the AuNRs are determined by the reaction conditions at very early times (<10?min), and that perturbing the growth solution beyond these times has little influence on the final AuNR properties. The observation of these behaviors may be relevant to ongoing investigations of AuNR growth mechanisms.     

Surfactant (bi)layers on gold nanorods

Gold nanorods in aqueous solution are generally surrounded by surfactants or capping agents. This is crucial for anisotropic growth during synthesis and for their final stability in solution. When CTAB is used, a bilayer has been evidenced from analytical methods even though no direct morphological characterization of the precise thickness and compactness has been reported. The type of surfactant layer is also relevant to understand the marked difference in further self-assembling properties of gold nanorods as experienced using 16-EO(1)-16 gemini surfactant instead of CTAB. To obtain a direct measure of the thickness of the surfactant layer on gold nanorods synthesized by the seeded growth method, we coupled TEM, SAXS, and SANS experiments for the two different cases, CTAB and gemini 16-EO(1)-16. Despite the strong residual signal from micelles in excess, it can be concluded that the thickness is imposed by the chain length of the surfactant and corresponds to a bilayer with partial interdigitation.     

Aspect ratio dependence on surface enhanced Raman scattering using silver and gold nanorod substrates

Silver and gold nanorods with aspect ratios from 1 to 16 have been used as substrates for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) in colloidal solution. The nanorod aspect ratio is varied to give different degrees of overlap between the nanorod longitudinal plasmon band and excitation source in order to determine its effect on overall surface enhancement. Results suggest that enhancement factors are a factor of 10-10(2) greater for substrates that have plasmon band overlap with the excitation source than for substrates whose plasmon bands do not.     

Monitoring gold nanorod synthesis by localized surface plasmon resonance

Surfactants can direct the growth of gold nanoparticles to create anisotropic structures in high yield by simple means, yet the exact roles of surfactants and other reactants are not entirely understood. Here we show that one can exploit the geometrical dependence of the localized surface plasmon resonant extinction spectrum of gold nanorods to monitor their synthesis kinetics. By using quantitative measurements of nanorod extinction cross sections, Gans' theory for the spectral extinction of prolate spheroids can be normalized to provide values for the nanorod length and diameter from extinction spectra measured during growth. The nanorod length growth rate was first observed at 0.15 nm/s and decayed during the growth reaction. The rate dependence on nanorod size did not correspond to any simple reaction-limited or diffusion-limited growth mechanisms.     

Synthesis of hybrid CdS-Au colloidal nanostructures

We explore the growth mechanism of gold nanocrystals onto preformed cadmium sulfide nanorods to form hybrid metal nanocrystal/semiconductor nanorod colloids. By manipulating the growth conditions, it is possible to obtain nanostructures exhibiting Au nanocrystal growth at only one nanorod tip, at both tips, or at multiple locations along the nanorod surface. Under anaerobic conditions, Au growth occurs only at one tip of the nanorods, producing asymmetric structures. In contrast, the presence of oxygen and trace amounts of water during the reaction promotes etching of the nanorod surface, providing additional sites for metal deposition. Three growth stages are observed when Au growth is performed under air: (1) Au nanocrystal formation at both nanorod tips, (2) growth onto defect sites on the nanorod surface, and finally (3) a ripening process in which one nanocrystal tip grows at the expense of the other particles present on the nanorod. Analysis of the hybrid nanostructures by high-resolution TEM shows that there is no preferred orientation between the Au nanocrystal and the CdS nanorod, indicating that growth is nonepitaxial. The optical signatures of the nanocrystals and the nanorods (i.e., the surface plasmon and first exciton transition peaks, respectively) are spectrally distinct, allowing the different stages of the growth process to be easily monitored. The initial CdS nanorods exhibit band gap and trap state emission, both of which are quenched during Au growth.     

Separation of nanorods by density gradient centrifugation

The experimental conditions necessary for the synthesis of well-defined nanoparticles are often difficult to control. There is thus a compelling need for post-synthesis separation of nanoparticles polydispersed in size and shape. We demonstrate here both theoretically and experimentally that gold nanorods with diverse aspect ratios can be separated using density gradient centrifugation. By analysing the force balance of a Brownian rod falling in a Stokes flow, we derive a rigorous and predictive model that reveals the quantitative dependency of the nanorod sedimentation rates on their mass and shape. The calculations show that while mass dependency is still the dominating factor during centrifugation, the shape factor is not insignificant. Relatively heavier but long and thin rods could sediment slower than certain size of lighter spheres, and some rods and spheres with different masses and shapes may never be separated. This mass and shape dependency is exploited to separate as-prepared gold nanorod colloids by sucrose gradient centrifugation. Two layers of nanorods with narrow aspect-ratio distributions are obtained.     

Oriented assembly of Au nanorods using biorecognition system

The design and formation of a linear assembly of gold nanorods using a biomolecular recognition system are described. Anti-mouse IgG was immobilized on the {111} end faces of gold nanorods through a thioctic acid containing a terminal carboxyl group. The biofunctionalized nanorods can be assembled with the desired length using mouse IgG for biorecognition and binding. The gold nanorods can be assembled to extended nanorod chains, which can be as long as 3 microm. These assembled nanostructures may be used as the precursors for future nanodevices.     

CeO2 nanorods and gold nanocrystals supported on CeO2 nanorods as catalyst

The formation mechanism of uniform CeO2 structure at the nanometer scale via a wet-chemical reaction is of great interest in fundamental study as well as a variety of applications. In this work, large-scale well-crystallized CeO2 nanorods with uniform diameters in the range of 20-30 nm and lengths up to tens of micrometers are first synthesized through a hydrothermal synthetic route in 5 M KOH solution at 180 degrees C for 45 h without any templates and surfactants. The nanorod formation involves dehydration of CeO2 nanoparticles and orientation growth along the 110 direction in KOH solution. Subsequently, gold nanoparticles with crystallite sizes between 10 and 20 nm are loaded on the surface of CeO2 nanorods using HAuCl4 solution as the gold source and NaBH4 solution as a reducing agent. The synthesized Au/CeO2 nanorods demonstrate a higher catalytic activity in CO oxidation than the pure CeO2 nanorods.     

Liposome-gold nanorod hybrids for high-resolution visualization deep in tissues

The design of liposome-nanoparticle hybrids offers a rich toolbox for the fabrication of multifunctional modalities. A self-assembled liposome-gold nanorod hybrid vesicular system that consists of lipid-bilayer-associated gold nanorods designed to allow deep tissue detection, therapy, and monitoring in living animals using multispectral optoacoustic tomography has been fabricated and characterized in vitro and in vivo.     

Near-field optical imaging of plasmon modes in gold nanorods

We have investigated optical properties of single gold nanorods by using an apertured-type scanning near-field optical microscope. Near-field transmission spectrum of single gold nanorod shows several longitudinal surface plasmon resonances. Transmission images observed at these resonance wavelengths show oscillating pattern along the long axis of the nanorod. The number of oscillation increases with decrement of observing wavelength. These spatial characteristics were well reproduced by calculated local density-of-states maps and were attributed to spatial characteristics of plasmon modes inside the nanorods. Dispersion relation for plasmons in gold nanorods was obtained by plotting the resonance frequencies of the plasmon modes versus the wave vectors obtained from the transmission images.     

Effects of shape and charge of colloidal gold nanoparticles in colorimetric determination of DNA sequences

The principles of colorimetric detecting oligonucleotides with the help of gold nanospheres and nanorods are discussed. Marker sequences of fragments of HIV-1 genome and Bacillus anthracis are used as models. Experimental data are reported that demonstrate the influence of gold nanorod morphology on the reproducibility of colorimetric tests. A new method is proposed for detecting oligonucleotides based on the application of positively charged gold nanospheres in combination with absorption spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering. Charge reversal of negatively charged gold nanospheres is implemented through the bilayer adsorption of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide molecules. The sensitivity of the proposed method is comparable with the detection of DNA sequences via the colorimetric protocol using nanorods, but it is more simple and stable from the viewpoint of realization. It is shown that the colorimetric tests using gold nanorods and nanospheres do not provide reliable information on the presence of single- and three-base mismatches in target oligonucleotides.