Surface plasmon resonance study on enhanced refractive index change of an Ag ion-sensing membrane containing dithiosquarylium dye

In this study, we have fabricated an Ag⁺ ion-sensing membrane with a dithiosquarylium (DTSQ) dye containing a polymeric film. The selective sensing signal through the electrostatic interaction between the DTSQ dye and the Ag⁺ metal cation was effectively transduced to the refractive index (RI) change corresponding to shifts of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) angle. In addition, a good selective Ag⁺ ion detection appeared in a wide concentration range from 10⁻⁴ to 10⁻¹² M. The resonance angle shift is interpreted with Fresnel equations and Kramers-Kronig relation. In light of these calculations, the enhanced RI increase in this sensing membrane appeared to be caused by the decrease of absorption coefficient of DTSQ dye around the wavelength of SPR probe beam. These results suggest that chromogenic approaches (λ_max control of Ag⁺ ion-sensing membrane with a DTSQ dye by appropriate molecular design) related to SPR phenomena (RI change at the wavelength of probe beam) offer a good strategy for highly sensitive metal ion detection.     

Effects of solute-matrix interaction on monitoring the conformational changes of immobilized proteins by surface plasmon resonance sensor

A real-time and labeling-free surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor was used to monitor the conformational changes of immobilized globule proteins (RNase A and lysozyme) in chemical unfolding and refolding. The effects of chemical denaturants on the protein structures were investigated. The methodology in protein conformational study on the solid surface is refined through the theoretic calculations and the conformational information of native/denatured proteins in solution. Additionally, our observation illustrates that the ambient buffer solution is merit to influence the refractive index of immobilized protein films and directly be observed from the SPR resonance angle shifts.     

Optical detection of phenolic compounds based on the surface plasmon resonance band of Au nanoparticles

An indirect colorimetric method is presented for detection of trace amounts of hydroquinone (1), catechol (2) and pyrogallol (3). The reduction of AuCl4(-) to Gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) by these phenolic compounds in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) produced very intense surface plasmon resonance peak of Au-NPs. The plasmon absorbance of Au-NPs allows the quantitative colorimetric detection of the phenolic compounds. The calibration curves derived from the changes in absorbance at lambda = 568 nm were linear with concentration of hydroquinone, catechol and pyrogallol in the range of 7.0 x 10(-7) to 1.0 x 10(-4)M, 6.0 x 10(-6) to 2.0 x 10(-4)M and 6.0 x 10(-7) to 1.0 x 10(-4)M, respectively. The detection limits were 5.3 x 10(-7), 2.5 x 10(-6) and 3.2 x 10(-7)M for the hydroquinone, catechol and pyrogallol, respectively. The method was applied satisfactorily to the determination of phenolic compounds in water samples and pharmaceutical formulations.     

Rapid detection of nivalenol and deoxynivalenol in wheat using surface plasmon resonance immunoassay

A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) immunoassay using a monoclonal antibody was developed to measure nivalenol (NIV) and deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination in wheat. A highly sensitive and stable DON-immobilized sensor chip was prepared, and an SPR detection procedure was developed. The competitive inhibition assay used a monoclonal antibody that cross-reacts with NIV and DON. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values of the SPR assay were 28.8 and 14.9 ng mL⁻¹ for NIV and DON, respectively. The combined responses of NIV and DON in wheat were obtained using a simultaneous detection assay in a one-step cleanup procedure. NIV and DON were separated using a commercial DON-specific immunoaffinity column (IAC) and their responses were obtained using an independent detection assay. Spiked tests using these toxins revealed that recoveries were in the range 91.5-107% with good relative standard deviations (RSDs) (0.40-4.1%) and that detection limits were 0.1 and 0.05 mg kg⁻¹ for NIV and DON, respectively. The independent detection using IAC showed detection limits of 0.2 and 0.1 mg kg⁻¹ for NIV and DON, respectively. SPR analysis results were correlated with those obtained using a conventional LC/MS/MS method for wheat co-contaminated with NIV and DON. These results suggested that the developed SPR assay is a practical method to rapidly screen the NIV and DON co-contamination of wheat and one of a very few immunoassays to detect NIV directly.     

Au NPs-aptamer conjugates as a powerful competitive reagent for ultrasensitive detection of small molecules by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy

Features of Au NPs-aptamer conjugates as a powerful competitive reagent to substitute antibody in enhancing surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy (SPR) signal for the detection of small molecule are explored for the first time. In order to evaluate the sensing ability of Au NPs-aptamer conjugates as a competitive reagent, a novel SPR sensor based on indirect competitive inhibition assay (ICIA) for the detection of adenosine is constructed by employing the competitive reaction between antiadenosine aptamer with adenosine and antiadenosine aptamer with its partial complementary ss-DNA. The partial complementary ss-DNA of antiadenosine aptamer is firstly immobilized on SPR gold film as sensing surface. When the Au NPs-antiadenosine aptamer conjugates solution is added to SPR cell in the absence of adenosine, Au NPs-antiadenosine aptamer conjugates is adsorbed to SPR sensor by the DNA hybridization reaction, and results in a large change of SPR signal. However, the change of SPR signal is decreased when the mixing solution of adenosine with Au NPs-antiadenosine aptamer conjugates is added. This is because adenosine reacts with antiadenosine aptamer in Au NPs-antiadenosine aptamer conjugates and changes its structure from ss-DNA to tertiary structure, which cannot hybridize with its partial complementary ss-DNA immobilized on SPR gold surface. Based on this principle, a SPR sensor for indirect detection of adenosine can be developed. The experimental results confirm that the SPR sensor possesses a good sensitivity and a high selectivity for adenosine, which indirectly confirms that Au NPs-aptamer conjugates is a powerful competitive reagent. More significantly, it can be used to develop other SPR sensors based on ICIA to detect different targets by changing the corresponding type of aptamer in Au NPs-aptamer conjugates.     

Label-free detection of cancer biomarker candidates using surface plasmon resonance imaging

In this work, we present an antibody array for the detection of cancer biomarker candidates by a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging sensor with polarization contrast. Responses from the SPR imaging sensor are shown to be similar to those from a conventional spectroscopy-based SPR sensor. Antibodies are spotted onto a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) composed of oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG)-containing alkanethiol chains. Detection of two cancer biomarker candidates, activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule/CD 166 (ALCAM) and transgelin-2 (TAGLN2), is demonstrated. Limits of detection for ALCAM and TAGLN2 are established at 6 ng/mL and 3 ng/mL, respectively, in buffer. No cross-reactivity is observed between immobilized antibodies and nonspecific antigen. Biomarker candidates are also detected in a 10% human serum solution. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Construction of an inexpensive surface plasmon resonance instrument for use in teaching and research

The construction of an inexpensive SPR instrument that can be used for both teaching and research is described. Using a 2′ × 2′ optical table to construct this instrument allows both scientists and students full access to the operation of the spectrometer. Furthermore, the use of open platform instrumentation has the advantage of maintaining the focus on the relationship between emerging technology and analytical chemistry as well as allowing the user to modify the instrument to enhance the measurement process for a particular application. This is a change from the learning paradigm used in most research and teaching laboratories where commercial instrumentation is treated as a black box due to its complexity. Three studies, which were performed using this instrument, are presented to demonstrate the suitability of this instrument for both teaching and research. These studies include measuring the refractive index of alcohols, investigating the partitioning of ruthenium (II) trisbipyridine chloride into Nafion, and understanding the mechanism controlling metal ion adsorption by polyacrylamide hydrogels.     

Enzyme-free surface plasmon resonance aptasensor for amplified detection of adenosine via target-triggering strand displacement cycle and Au nanoparticles

Herein, we combine the advantage of aptamer technique with the amplifying effect of an enzyme-free signal-amplification and Au nanoparticles (NPs) to design a sensitive surface plasmon resonance (SPR) aptasensor for detecting small molecules. This detection system consists of aptamer, detection probe (c-DNA1) partially hybridizing to the aptamer strand, Au NPs-linked hairpin DNA (Au-H-DNA1), and thiolated hairpin DNA (H-DNA2) previously immobilized on SPR gold chip. In the absence of target, the H-DNA1 possessing hairpin structure cannot hybridize with H-DNA2 and thereby Au NPs will not be captured on the SPR gold chip surface. Upon addition of target, the detection probe c-DNA1 is forced to dissociate from the c-DNA1/aptamer duplex by the specific recognition of the target to its aptamer. The released c-DNA1 hybridizes with Au-H-DNA1 and opens the hairpin structure, which accelerate the hybridization between Au-H-DNA1 and H-DNA2, leading to the displacement of the c-DNA1 through a branch migration process. The released c-DNA1 then hybridizes with another Au-H-DNA1 probe, and the cycle starts anew, resulting in the continuous immobilization of Au-H-DNA1 probes on the SPR chip, generating a significant change of SPR signal due to the electronic coupling interaction between the localized surface plasma of the Au NPs and the surface plasma wave. With the use of adenosine as a proof-of-principle analyte, this sensing platform can detect adenosine specifically with a detection limit as low as 0.21 pM, providing a simple, sensitive and selective protocol for small target molecules detection.     

Refractive Index Measurement in Sucrose Solution and Beverage Using Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor Based on Hetero-core Structured Fiber Optic

The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor was fabricated by depositing silver thin film on the surface of hetero-core structured fiber optic. The SPR sensor based on hetero-core structured fiber optic was applied to measure refractive index of sucrose solution and fruit juices. The sensor part was immersed in sucrose solution and/or juice and the propagating light spectra were measured. It was shown that the fiber optic SPR sensor showed a good agreement with that measured by conventional refractometer.     

Ultrasensitively sensing acephate using molecular imprinting techniques on a surface plasmon resonance sensor

An ultrathin molecularly imprinted polymer film was anchored on an Au surface for fabricating a surface plasmon resonance sensor sensitive to acephate by a surface-bound photo-radical initiator. The polymerization in the presence of acephate resulted in a molecular-imprinted matrix for the enhanced binding of acephate. Analysis of the SPR wavenumber changes in the presence of different concentrations of acephate gave a calibration curve that included the ultrasensitive detection of acephate by the imprinted sites in the composite, K_ass for the association of acephate to the imprinted sites, 7.7 × 10¹² M⁻¹. The imprinted ultrathin film revealed impressive selectivity. The selectivity efficiencies for acephate and other structurally related analogues were 1.0 and 0.11-0.37, respectively. Based on a signal to noise ratio of 3, the detection limits were 1.14 × 10⁻¹³ M for apple sample and 4.29 × 10⁻¹⁴ M for cole sample. The method showed good recoveries and precision for the apple and cole samples spiked with acephate solution. This suggests that a combination of SPR sensing with MIP film is a promising alternative method for the detection of organophosphate compounds.     

Flow immunoassay of trinitrophenol based on a surface plasmon resonance sensor using a one-pot immunoreaction with a high molecular weight conjugate

A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) immunosensor based on a competitive immunoreaction for the determination of trinitrophenol (TNP) is described. A goat anti-mouse IgG (1st antibody), which recognizes an Fc moiety of an antibody, was immobilized on a gold film of an SPR sensor chip by physical adsorption. A TNP solution containing a fixed concentration of a mouse anti-TNP monoclonal antibody (2nd antibody) and a TNP-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) conjugate was incubated in one-pot and introduced into the sensor chip. The TNP-KLH conjugate competes with TNP for binding with the 2nd antibody. The resulting complex of the 2nd antibody with the TNP-KLH conjugate was bound to the 1st antibody, which is immobilized on the sensor chip. The SPR sensor signal based on resonance angle shift is dependent on the concentration of TNP in the incubation solution in the range from 25 ppt to 25 ppb, and the coefficient of variation of the SPR signals for the 25 ppb TNP solution was determined to be 13% (n = 4). The experimental results for the adsorption constant of the 1st antibody on the sensor chip and the binding constant of the 1st antibody complex with the 2nd antibody are discussed, together with theoretical considerations.     

A novel detection of single-stranded DNA binding protein based on ss-DNA modified chip using surface plasmon resonance microscopy

An ss-DNA gold chip was prepared based on self-assembly of the thiol-derivatized oligonucleotide,and used for thedetermination of single-stranded binding protein(SSB)by surface plasmon resonance microscopy(SPR).The experiment resultsshowed that SSB binds ss-DNA with high specificity,and relative signal of SPR response is proportional to the concentration of SSBin the range of 0.1-100 ng/mL with a detection limit(S/N=3)of 0.07 ng/mL.     

High sensitivity detection of 16s rRNA using peptide nucleic acid probes and a surface plasmon resonance biosensor

A signal enhancing method allowing highly sensitive detection of E. coli 16s rRNA was developed using peptide nucleic acid (PNA) as a capture probe and a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor as a detector. 16s rRNA has been used as a genetic marker for identification of organisms, and can be analyzed directly without PCR amplification due to the relatively high number of copies. PNA has a neutral backbone structure, therefore hybridization with 16s rRNA results in the ionic condition being changed from neutral to negative. A cationic Au nanoparticle was synthesized and used for signal amplification by ionic interaction with 16s rRNA hybridized on the PNA probe-immobilized SPR sensor chip. This method resulted in a detection limit of E. coli rRNA of 58.2 ± 1.37 pg mL⁻¹. Using this analytical method, Staphylococcus aureus was detected without purification of rRNA.     

Development of surface chemistry for surface plasmon resonance based sensors for the detection of proteins and DNA molecules

The immobilisation of biological recognition elements onto a sensor chip surface is a crucial step for the construction of biosensors. While some of the optical biosensors utilise silicon dioxide as the sensor surface, most of the biosensor surfaces are coated with metals for transduction of the signal. Biological recognition elements such as proteins can be adsorbed spontaneously on metal or silicon dioxide substrates but this may denature the molecule and can result in either activity reduction or loss. Self assembled monolayers (SAMs) provide an effective method to protect the biological recognition elements from the sensor surface, thereby providing ligand immobilisation that enables the repeated binding and regeneration cycles to be performed without losing the immobilised ligand, as well as additionally helping to minimise non-specific adsorption. Therefore, in this study different surface chemistries were constructed on SPR sensor chips to investigate protein and DNA immobilisation on Au surfaces. A cysteamine surface and 1%, 10% and 100% mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUDA) coatings with or without dendrimer modification were utilised to construct the various sensor surfaces used in this investigation. A higher response was obtained for NeutrAvidin immobilisation on dendrimer modified surfaces compared to MUDA and cysteamine layers, however, protein or DNA capture responses on the immobilised NeutrAvidin did not show a similar higher response when dendrimer modified surfaces were used.     

Towards rapid nanoscale chemical analysis using tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy with Ag-coated dielectric tips

The influence of dielectric substrates on the Raman scattering activities of Ag overlayers has been investigated. Materials with low refractive indices, such as SiO₂, SiO_x and AlF₃, were found to provide suitable supporting platforms for Ag films to give strong surface-enhanced Raman scattering for dye molecules when illuminated at 488 nm. This finding was then extended to tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS). Huge enhancements of 70–80×, corresponding to net enhancements of >10⁴, were observed for brilliant cresyl blue test analyte when Ag-coated tips made from or precoated with low refractive index materials were applied. The yield of fabricated tips that significantly enhance the Raman signals was found to be close to 100%. These findings provide crucial steps towards the use of TERS as a robust technique for rapid chemical imaging with nanometer spatial resolution. Figure Silver-coated dielectric tips for tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) are capable of more than 10,000-fold enhancement     

Detection of parathion methyl using a surface plasmon resonance sensor combined with molecularly imprinted films

An ultra-sensitive and highly selective parathion methyl(PM) detection method by surface plasmon resonance(SPR) combined with molecularly imprinted films(MIF) was developed. The PM-imprinted film was prepared by thermo initiated polymerization on the bare Au surface of an SPR sensor chip.Template PM molecules were quickly removed by an organic solution of acetonitrile/acetic acid(9:1,v/v), causing a shift of 0.58 in SPR angle. In the concentrations range of 10à13–10à10mol/L, the refractive index showed a gradual increase with higher concentrations of template PM and the changes of SPR angles were linear with the negative logarithm of PM concentrations. In the experiment, the minimum detectable concentration was 10à13mol/L. The selectivity of the thin PM-imprinted film against diuron,tetrachlorvinphose and fenitrothion was examined, but no observable binding was detected. The results in the experiment suggested that the MIF had the advantages of high sensitivity and selectivity.     

Highly sensitive detection of human cardiac myoglobin using a reverse sandwich immunoassay with a gold nanoparticle-enhanced surface plasmon resonance biosensor

A highly sensitive reverse sandwich immunoassay for the detection of human cardiac myoglobin (cMb) in serum was designed utilizing a gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-enhanced surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor. First, a monoclonal anti-cMb antibody (Mab1) was covalently immobilized on the sensor surface. AuNPs were covalently conjugated to the second monoclonal anti-cMb antibody (Mab2) to form an immuno-gold reagent (Mab2-AuNP). The reverse sandwich immunoassay consists of two steps: (1) mixing the serum sample with Mab2-AuNP and incubation for the formation of cMb/Mab2-AuNP complexes and (2) sample injection over the sensor surface and evaluation of the Mab1/cMb/Mab2-AuNP complex formation, with the subsequent calculation of the cMb concentration in the serum. The biosensor signal was amplified approximately 30-fold compared with the direct reaction of cMb with Mab1 on the sensor surface. The limit of detection of cMb in a human blood serum sample was found to be as low as 10 pM (approx. 0.18 ng mL⁻¹), and the inter-assay coefficient of variation was less than 3%. Thus, the developed SPR-based reverse sandwich immunoassay has a sensitivity that is sufficient to measure cMb across a wide range of normal and pathological concentrations, allowing an adequate estimation of the disease severity and the monitoring of treatment.     

Detection of ozone gas using gold nanoislands and surface plasmon resonance

Gold nanoislands interact with gaseous ozone to produce a surface plasmon resonance shift, similarly to the interaction of ozone and gold nanoparticles in water. Gold nanoislands are produced by sputtering, which significantly simplifies the synthesis and produces controlled size for the gold nanoislands. The shift of surface plasmon resonance peak was monitored while gold nanoislands were exposed to variable concentration of gaseous ozone. The shift was then correlated with ozone concentration. Our current results indicate sensing gaseous ozone at concentration of as low as 20 μg/L is achievable. Gold nanoislands were reversed to their original wavelength and were able to cycle between the wavelengths as ozone was introduced and removed. Potentially, this system can be useful as a sensor that identifies the presence of ozone at low part-per-billion concentrations of ozone in gaseous media.     

Real-time immunoassay of ferritin using surface plasmon resonance biosensor

A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor was used for the first time to determine the concentration of ferritin in both HBS-EP buffer and serum. The monoclonal antibody was immobilized on the carboxymethyl dextran-modified gold surface by an amine coupling method. The interaction of antibody with antigen was monitored in real-time. The signal was enhanced by sandwich amplification strategy to improve the sensitivity and specificity of the immunoassay, especially in serum. The linear range of the assay in serum is over 30-200 ng ml⁻¹ with the detection limit of 28 ng ml⁻¹. The sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility of the assay are satisfactory. The analyte and enhancement antibody-binding surface could be regenerated by pH 2.0 glycine-HCl buffer and the same antibody-immobilized surface could be used for more than 50 cycles of ferritin binding and regeneration.     

Effect of the immobilisation of DNA aptamers on the detection of thrombin by means of surface plasmon resonance

We report a multichannel surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor for detection of thrombin via DNA aptamers immobilized on the SPR sensor surface. A detailed investigation of the effect of the immobilisation method on the interaction between thrombin and DNA aptamers is presented. Three basic approaches to the immobilisation of aptamers on the surface of the SPR sensor are examined: (i) immobilisation based on chemisorption of aptamers modified with SH groups, (ii) immobilisation of biotin-tagged aptamers via previously immobilized avidin, neutravidin or streptavidin molecular linkers, and (iii) immobilisation employing dendrimers as a support layer for subsequent immobilisation of aptamers. A level of nonspecific binding of thrombin to immobilized human serum albumin (HSA) for each of the immobilisation methods is determined. Immobilisation of aptamers by means of the streptavidin–biotin system yields the best results both in terms of sensor specificity and sensitivity.