Hydrogels allow the precise growth tracking of plasmonic gold nanoparticles for mercury analysis

Abstract

Gold nanostructures have been significantly employed as attractive sensing probes for environmental and biological analysis. Nevertheless, due to the environment-sensitive local surface plasmon resonance of gold nanostructures and their actively...

Tracking the Growth of Chiral Plasmonic Nanocrystals at Molybdenum Disulfide Heterostructural Interfaces

“…The differential optical performances of Au/MoS 2 reaction products caused by cysteine enantiomers indicated the chirality transfer of natural small molecules to synthesized materials. After that, these unprecedented chiral materials held high promise in emerging characteristics and significant values in wide applications, such as optical devices, sensing, and immunity. − To obtain a better understanding of the formation and chiral growth routes of these chiral materials, the reaction conditions were optimized and intermediate products were captured for further investigation.…”

In situ synthesis of gold nanoclusters in hydrogels for the capillary based portable fluorescence analysis of hypochlorite in environmental samples

“…This phenomenon was consistent with the experimental conclusion of the gold nanoparticles being encapsulated into the cysteine-doped agarose hydrogels. 35 In order to further explain the influence of OH − during the synthesis process of H-Au NCs in the gel, phenolphthalein reagent was added to track the OH − in the reaction hydrogels. The position of the white strip interfaces was consistent (Fig.…”

“…This in situ staining method was used in colorimetric analysis in our previous works. 34,35 Nevertheless, to the best of our knowledge, no fluorescence staining works have been reported yet. Therefore, instead of aqueous solutions, the hydrogel reaction phase might contribute to the synthesis of metal nanoparticles or nanoclusters, which could exhibit high development potential and intriguing application prospects.…”

Mercury-Mediated Epitaxial Accumulation of Au Atoms for Stained Hydrogel-Improved On-Site Mercury Monitoring

“…The simple structure of the agarose molecule allows no interaction with chemical/biological systems and no interfering effects on the reaction; second, the hollow structure of the hydrogel offers reaction conditions for the in situ growth of nanoprobes. 26 Foremost, the reticular skeleton structure of the hydrogel is effective in rapidly stablilizing Au NPs, avoiding the nonspecific aggregation phenomenon in complex environments and biological samples. Nevertheless, in that route, cysteine molecules were preadded in the hydrogels, which served as the initial reductant reagents for the reduction of trivalent Au ions.…”

“…This work transferred the aqueous phase reaction involving plasmonic nanomaterials to a hydrogel medium. The simple structure of the agarose molecule allows no interaction with chemical/biological systems and no interfering effects on the reaction; second, the hollow structure of the hydrogel offers reaction conditions for the in situ growth of nanoprobes . Foremost, the reticular skeleton structure of the hydrogel is effective in rapidly stablilizing Au NPs, avoiding the nonspecific aggregation phenomenon in complex environments and biological samples.…”