Colorimetric Enzyme Sensing Assays via In Situ Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles

We report a successful facile and novel approach for in situ synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) via enzymatic dephosphorylation reaction at room temperature. Fmoc-tyrosine phosphate and cytidine-5-mono phosphate are used to sense the activities of an enzyme alkaline phosphatase. Formation of AuNps is highly selective towards biomolecules and it is readily detected colorimetrically and UV–Vis analysis. In this procedure, dephosphorylated product plays both roles as reducing and stabilizing agent to direct the formation of AuNPs in aqueous media. Transmission electron microscopic study reveales that hexagonal AuNPs were synthesized by using Fmoc-tyrosine phosphate and alkaline phosphatase. Wide angle X-ray scattering data confirms the formation of AuNPs. FT-IR studies confirm that biomolecules play crucial role to stabilize the AuNPs by molecular interactions with the surface of AuNPs. In situ synthesized AuNPs are applied for the sensing of enzyme activity.