Search

Recent developments in molecular spectroscopy have widened the scope of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for detection of nucleic acids. In order to solve the interference of impurity signals in SERS analysis that hamper the reliable detection of DNA, Ag nanoparticles modified with thiosulfate ions were used to obtain SERS signals of DNA molecules in aqueous solutions, which showed good reproducibility. By using thiosulfate ions and calcium ions as aggregating agents, this method not only eliminated the influence of citrate on DNA signals completely but also obtained the signals for all bases indiscriminately, including the T base that was considered to have low Raman activity. Subsequently, the base stacking rule was used to identify mutations arising from C/T transition. It further identified the mutation sites of single-base C/T transition using this platform for the first time. This method has wide application prospects in DNA analysis, DNA sequencing, and genetic testing.

Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 is a dissimilatory metal-reducing bacterium capable of reducing various metal and sulfur compounds and precipitating them in nanoparticulate form. Here, we report the synthesis of molybdenum disulfide nanomaterials at the site of S. oneidensis biofilms grown in the presence of molybdenum trioxide and sodium thiosulfate. Samples from the growth medium were imaged using scanning electron microscopy and characterized using transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, absorbance spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction. These methods revealed the presence of molybdenum disulfide nanoparticle aggregates 50-300 nm in diameter with both hexagonal and rhombohedral polytypes. As a biosynthesis method for molybdenum sulfide, the use of S. oneidensis offers the advantage of significantly reduced heat and chemical solvent input compared to conventional methods of synthesizing molybdenum disulfide nanoparticles.

We report the first use of metallic nanozyme as colorimetric probe for Pb 2+ determination. The method is based on the surface leaching of Au@PtNP nanozyme by Pb 2+ -S 2 O 3 2- ions, accompanied by a decreased catalytic activity of the metallic nanozyme. To construct this colorimetric determination, the Pt deposition onto the AuNPs was carefully investigated and other experimental factors including kind of substrate and buffer were optimized. With increasing Pb 2+ concentration, the catalytic activity of the Au@PtNPs decreased gradually. As a result, the blue color at 650 nm from the oxidation of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine by H 2 O 2 faded gradually. A determination limit of 3.0 nM Pb 2+ with a linear range from 20 to 800 nM was obtained. The assay demonstrated negligible response to common metal ions even at elevated concentrations. This colorimetric method was applied to the determination of Pb 2+ ions spiked in lake water samples, and good recoveries (96.8-105.2%) were obtained. The above results indicate the potential application of metallic nanozymes in developing robust colorimetric assays. Graphical abstract Schematic representation of the surface leaching of Au@PtNP nanozyme by Pb 2+ -S 2 O 3 2- ions, accompanying the decreased catalytic activity of the metallic nanozyme.

A highly sensitive and cost-effective colorimetric sensing platform for the selective trace analysis of Cu 2+ ions was developed based on the accelerated etching of Riboflavin stabilized silver nanoparticles (R/AgNPs). The R/AgNPs were prepared from the Cucumis melo juice by a green chemistry approach. The bio-synthesized AgNPs were studied by UV-Vis spectroscopy and showed an intense absorption band at 404nm that were further confirmed by FTIR and EDS analysis. Simultaneous presence of Cu 2+ and thiosulfate decreased the absorption intensity of green synthesized AgNPs which resulted in sensitive and selective determination of Cu 2+ . The selectivity of R/AgNPs detection system for Cu 2+ was excellent. Furthermore, the method offered a wide linear detection range from 5nM to 100nM with a detection limit of 1.12nM. Surprisingly, it was a quick approach and the decolorization of the R/AgNPs solutions occurred only within 5min. Our results clearly indicate these R/AgNPs could be used as an efficient probe for the colorimetric sensing of Cu 2+ in environmental water samples., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this work, we report the synthesis of novel cationic phosphonium gold nanoparticles dispersible in water and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) for their potential use in biomedical applications. All the cationic-functionalising ligands currently reported in the literature are ammonium-based species. Here, the synthesis and characterisation of an alternative system, based on phosphonioalkylthiosulfate zwitterions and phosphonioalkylthioacetate were carried out. We have also demonstrated that our phosphonioalkylthiosulfate zwitterions readily disproportionate into phosphonioalkylthiolates in situ during the synthesis of gold nanoparticles produced by the borohydride reduction of gold(III) salts. The synthesis of the cationic gold nanoparticles using these phosphonium ligands was carried out in water and DMSO. UV-visible spectroscopic and TEM studies have shown that the phosphonioalkylthiolates bind to the surface of gold nanoparticles which are typically around 10 nm in diameter. The resulting cationic-functionalised gold nanoparticles are dispersible in aqueous media and in DMSO, which is the only organic solvent approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for drug carrier tests. This indicates their potential future use in biological applications. This work shows the synthesis of a new family of phosphonium-based ligands, which behave as cationic masked thiolate ligands in the functionalisation of gold nanoparticles. These highly stable colloidal cationic phosphonium gold nanoparticles dispersed in water and DMSO can offer a great opportunity for the design of novel biorecognition and drug delivery systems.

A novel, highly selective and sensitive paper-based colorimetric sensor for trace determination of copper (Cu(2+)) ions was developed. The measurement is based on the catalytic etching of silver nanoplates (AgNPls) by thiosulfate (S2O3(2-)). Upon the addition of Cu(2+) to the ammonium buffer at pH 11, the absorption peak intensity of AuNPls/S2O3(2-) at 522 nm decreased and the pinkish violet AuNPls became clear in color as visible to the naked eye. This assay provides highly sensitive and selective detection of Cu(2+) over other metal ions (K(+), Cr(3+), Cd(2+), Zn(2+), As(3+), Mn(2+), Co(2+), Pb(2+), Al(3+), Ni(2+), Fe(3+), Mg(2+), Hg(2+) and Bi(3+)). A paper-based colorimetric sensor was then developed for the simple and rapid determination of Cu(2+) using the catalytic etching of AgNPls. Under optimized conditions, the modified AgNPls coated at the test zone of the devices immediately changes in color in the presence of Cu(2+). The limit of detection (LOD) was found to be 1.0 ng mL(-1) by visual detection. For semi-quantitative measurement with image processing, the method detected Cu(2+) in the range of 0.5-200 ng mL(-1)(R(2)=0.9974) with an LOD of 0.3 ng mL(-1). The proposed method was successfully applied to detect Cu(2+) in the wide range of real samples including water, food, and blood. The results were in good agreement according to a paired t-test with results from inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES)., (Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

In this work, we developed a novel, label-free, colorimetric sensor for Pb(2+) detection based on the acceleration of gold leaching by graphene oxide (GO) at room temperature. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) can be dissolved in a thiosulfate (S2O3(2-)) aqueous environment in the presence of oxygen; however, the leaching rate is very slow due to the high activation energy (27.99 kJ mol(-1)). In order to enhance the reaction rate, some accelerators should be added. In comparison with the traditional accelerators (metal ions or middle ligands), we found that GO could efficiently accelerate the gold leaching reaction. Kinetic data demonstrate that the dissolution rate of gold in the Pb(2+)-S2O3(2-)-GO system is 5 times faster than that without GO at room temperature. In addition, the effects of surface modification and the nanoparticle size on the etching of AuNPs were investigated. Based on the GO-accelerated concentration-dependent colour changes of AuNPs, a colorimetric sensor for Pb(2+) detection was developed with a linear range from 0.1 to 20 μM and the limit of detection (LOD) was evaluated to be 0.05 μM. This colorimetric assay is simple, low-cost, label-free, and has numerous potential applications in the field of environmental chemistry.

In this study, triangular silver nanoplates (TAg-NPs) were used to detect trace Cysteine concentration in the presence of sodium thiosulfate (Na2S2O3). Study showed that the TAg-NPs could be gently etched by Cysteine with the concentration of 1.0×10(-7) mol L(-1) through forming Ag-S covalent bond at the three corners. However, in the presence of Na2S2O3 (only 3.0×10(-6) mol L(-1)), the corrosion of Cysteine on TAg-NPs can be promoted significantly. It was also found that the color, morphology, and the maximum absorption wavelength of TAg-NPs change clearly with the concentrations of Cysteine as low as 2.5×10(-8) mol L(-1). Furthermore, the wavelength shift values (Δλ) of TAg-NPs solution were proportional to the concentrations of Cysteine in the range of 1.0×10(-9)-1.0×10(-7) mol L(-1), and the linear regression equation is Δλ=-0.89+319.94 c (c, μM, n=5) with the correlation coefficient of 0.990. At the same time, the color change of the TAg-NPs solution could be observed clearly by the naked eyes with increasing Cysteine concentrations in the range of 2.5×10(-8)-1.0×10(-7) mol L(-1). Thus, a novel method for the detection of Cysteine by either UV-vis spectrophotometry detection or naked eyes observation is established. It allows determination of Cysteine content in compound amino acid injection sample of 18AA-V., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This report describes a two-phase synthesis of water-soluble carboxylate-functionalized alkanethiolate-capped Pd nanoparticles from ω-carboxyl-S-alkanethiosulfate sodium salts. The two-phase methodology using the thiosulfate ligand passivation protocol allowed a highly specific control over the surface ligand coverage of these nanoparticles, which are lost in a one-phase aqueous system because of the base-catalyzed hydrolysis of thiosulfate to thiolate. Systematic synthetic variations investigated in this study included the concentration of ω-carboxyl-S-alkanethiosulfate ligand precursors and reducing agent, NaBH4, and the overall ligand chain length. The resulting water-soluble Pd nanoparticles were isolated and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), (1)H NMR, UV-vis, and FT-IR spectroscopy. Among different variations, a decrease in the molar equivalent of NaBH4 resulted in a reduction in the surface ligand density while maintaining a similar particle core size. Additionally, reducing the chain length of the thiosulfate ligand precursor also led to the formation of stable nanoparticles with a lower surface coverage. Since the metal core size of these Pd nanoparticle variations remained quite consistent, direct correlation studies between ligand properties and catalytic activities against hydrogenation/isomerization of allyl alcohol could be performed. Briefly, Pd nanoparticles dissolved in water favored the hydrogenation of allyl alcohol to 1-propanol whereas Pd nanoparticles heterogeneously dispersed in chloroform exhibited a rather high selectivity towards the isomerization product (propanal). The results suggested that the surrounding ligand environments, such as the ligand structure, conformation, and surface coverage, were crucial in determining the overall activity and selectivity of the Pd nanoparticle catalysts.

A simple, rapid colorimetric detection method for Pb(2+) in aqueous solution has been developed by using sodium thiosulfate (Na2S2O3) and hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) modified gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). Na2S2O3 was added into the Au NP solution and thiosulfate ions (S2O3(2-)) were adsorbed on the surface of the Au NPs due to electrostatic interactions. Au atoms on the surface of the Au NPs were then oxidized to Au(i) by the O2 that existed in the solution in presence of thiosulfate. The addition of Pb(2+) (the final concentration was lower than 10 μM), accelerated the leaching of the Au NPs, and Pb-Au alloys also formed on the surface of the Au NPs. There was an obvious decrease in the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption of the Au NPs. The lowest concentration for Pb(2+) that could be detected by the naked eye was 0.1 μM and using UV-vis spectroscopy was 40 nM. This is lower than the lead toxic level defined by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), which is 75 nM. In this method, CTAB, as a stabilizing agent for Au NPs, can accelerate the adsorption of S2O3(2-) on the surface of the Au NPs, which shortened the detection time to within 30 min. Moreover, this detection method is simple, cheap and environmentally friendly.

The determination of metallic nanoparticles in environmental samples requires sample pretreatment that ideally combines pre-concentration and species selectivity. With cloud point extraction (CPE) using the surfactant Triton X-114 we present a simple and cost effective separation technique that meets both criteria. Effective separation of ionic gold species and Au nanoparticles (Au-NPs) is achieved by using sodium thiosulphate as a complexing agent. The extraction efficiency for Au-NP ranged from 1.01 ± 0.06 (particle size 2 nm) to 0.52 ± 0.16 (particle size 150 nm). An enrichment factor of 80 and a low limit of detection of 5 ng L(-1) is achieved using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ET-AAS) for quantification. TEM measurements showed that the particle size is not affected by the CPE process. Natural organic matter (NOM) is tolerated up to a concentration of 10 mg L(-1). The precision of the method expressed as the standard deviation of 12 replicates at an Au-NP concentration of 100 ng L(-1) is 9.5%. A relation between particle concentration and the extraction efficiency was not observed. Spiking experiments showed a recovery higher than 91% for environmental water samples., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A novel platform for effective "turn-on" fluorescence sensing of lead ions (Pb(2+)) in aqueous solution was developed based on gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-functionalized graphene. The AuNP-functionalized graphene exhibited minimal background fluorescence because of the extraordinarily high quenching ability of AuNPs. Interestingly, the AuNP-functionalized graphene underwent fluorescence restoration as well as significant enhancement upon adding Pb(2+), which was attributed to the fact that Pb(2+) could accelerate the leaching rate of the AuNPs on graphene surfaces in the presence of both thiosulfate (S(2)O(3)(2-)) and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME). Consequently, this could be utilized as the basis for selective detection of Pb(2+). With the optimum conditions chosen, the relative fluorescence intensity showed good linearity versus logarithm concentration of Pb(2+) in the range of 50-1000 nM (R = 0.9982), and a detection limit of 10 nM. High selectivity over common coexistent metal ions was also demonstrated. The practical application had been carried out for determination of Pb(2+) in tap water and mineral water samples. The Pb(2+)-specific "turn-on" fluorescence sensor, based on Pb(2+) accelerated leaching of AuNPs on the surface of graphene, provided new opportunities for highly sensitive and selective Pb(2+) detection in aqueous media.

As a sensitive and selective analytical technique, gold nanoparticles-based colorimetric sensing was characterized by its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. Specific methods have been extensively developed for different targets in diverse samples. In this study, a label-free method for sensing Co(2+) in aqueous solutions was described. The target was achieved by the induced aggregation of thiosulfate (S(2)O(3)(2-)) stabilized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in the presence of ethylenediamine (en). Co(2+) first reacted with en and formed complexes of Co(en)(3)(2+) in aqueous solutions, which was followed by the oxidation of Co(en)(3)(2+) to Co(en)(3)(3+) by dissolved oxygen. Co(en)(3)(3+) then attacked S(2)O(3)(2-) ligands adsorbed on the AuNPs' surfaces, forming positively charged (en)(2)CoS(2)O(3)(+) on the AuNPs' surfaces, which reduced the surface charges of AuNPs and induced the aggregation of AuNPs. The process was accompanied by a red-shift in the adsorption spectrum and a visible colour change from wine red to blue. Potential effects of relevant experimental conditions, including pH, concentrations of S(2)O(3)(2-) and en, and incubation time were evaluated for optimization of the method. The proposed method is sensitive (LOD = 0.0 4 μM or 2.36 ppb) and selective (by at least 100-fold over other metal ions except for Cu(2+)) toward Co(2+) with a linear range from 0.1 to 0.7 μM. The cost-effective method allows rapid and simple determination of the concentrations of Co(2+) ions in drinking water.

Sodium thiosulphate (Na2S2O3) solution was used to etch silver nanoparticles (NPs) and transform them from triangular nanoprisms to hexagonal nanoplates. UV-Vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to monitor the evolution of the hexagonal Ag nanoplates. S2O3(2-) etched the corners of the triangular Ag nanoprisms, and the Ag atoms that were removed aggregated into small clusters. The facet-selective etching effect of S2O3(2-) can be mainly attributed to the surface energy difference of each face of the nanoplate. The mechanism of S2O3(2-) etching also involves formation of Ag2S2O3 on the nanoprisms vertices, which is followed by its hydrolysis and subsequent dissociation of Ag atoms to form stable Ag2S. The hexagonal Ag nanoplates showed higher surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity than the original nanoprisms.