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Cys-functionalized AuNP substrates for improved sensing of the marine toxin STX by dynamic surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

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Abstract

Saxitoxin (STX) as one of the most harmful and typical paralytic shellfish toxins, is posing a serious threat to environmental and human health, thus it is essential to develop a sensitive and reliable analytical method for STX detection. Herein, we proposed a strategy for rapid and sensitive detection of STX with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), by employing cysteine modified gold nanoparticles (Cys-AuNPs) as SERS probe to capture STX molecules through electrostatic interactions and multiple hydrogen bonds between Cys and STX molecules. Moreover, the XPS and zeta potential results indicated that Cys could bond to AuNPs through Au-S bonds and the addition of STX could induce the efficient aggregation of Cys-AuNPs owing to the presence of electrostatic interactions and multiple hydrogen bonds between Cys and STX molecules. Furthermore, considering the high sensitivity and stability of the dynamic surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (D-SERS) strategy with the formation of a 3D hotspot matrix, the highly sensitive detection of STX was realized to a level of 1 × 10−7 M by using the D-SERS strategy. Consequently, Cys-AuNPs as high affinity substrates can provide high sensitivity for the detection of STX through the D-SERS strategy.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the National Major Scientific and Technological Special Project for “Significant New Drugs Development” (No.2018ZX09J18112), the National Science Foundation of China (61875206), CASHIPS Director′s Fund (YZJJ2019QN13), the Sci-tech Police Project of Anhui Province (806116381020 and 904038287034).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Center of Medical Physics and Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, Anhui, China

    Chentai Cao, Pan Li & Liangbao Yang

  2. Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, China

    Chentai Cao

  3. Fuyang Institute of Technology, Fuyang, 236031, Anhui, China

    Hongmei Liao

  4. Department of Pharmacy, Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, Anhui, China

    Junping Wang & Liangbao Yang

  5. Institute of Intelligent Machines, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, Anhui, China

    Xianghu Tang

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  1. Chentai Cao
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Correspondence to Pan Li, Hongmei Liao or Liangbao Yang.

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Cao, C., Li, P., Liao, H. et al. Cys-functionalized AuNP substrates for improved sensing of the marine toxin STX by dynamic surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Anal Bioanal Chem 412, 4609–4617 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-020-02710-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-020-02710-9

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