Surface enhanced Raman scattering by graphene-nanosheet-gapped plasmonic nanoparticle arrays for multiplexed DNA detection

We have developed a new type of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate with thiolated graphene oxide (tGO) nanosheets sandwiched between two layers of closely packed plasmonic nanoparticles. The trilayered substrate is built up through alternative loading of interfacially assembled plasm...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Duan, Bo, Zhou, Jiajing, Fang, Zheng, Wang, Chenxu, Wang, Xiujuan, Hemond, Harold F., Chan-Park, Mary B., Duan, Hongwei
Other Authors: School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/82806
http://hdl.handle.net/10220/40527
Description
Summary:We have developed a new type of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate with thiolated graphene oxide (tGO) nanosheets sandwiched between two layers of closely packed plasmonic nanoparticles. The trilayered substrate is built up through alternative loading of interfacially assembled plasmonic nanoparticle arrays and tGO nanosheets, followed by coating the nanoparticle surfaces with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). Here tGO plays multifunctional roles as a 2D scaffold to immobilized interfacially assembled plasmonic nanoparticles, a nanospacer to create SERS-active nanogaps between two layers of nanoparticle arrays, and a molecule harvester to enrich molecules of interest via π–π interaction. In particular, the molecule harvesting capability of the tGO nanospacer and the stealth properties of PEG coating on the plasmonic nanoparticles collectively lead to preferential positioning of selective targets such as aromatic molecules and single-stranded DNA at the SERS-active nanogap hotspots. We have demonstrated that an SERS assay based on the PEGylated trilayered substrate, in combination with magnetic separation, allows for sensitive, multiplexed “signal-off” detection of DNA sequences of bacterial pathogens.