Surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy in living plant using triplex AuAgC core–shell nanoparticles

Abstract

This paper presents, for the first time, noninvasive imaging of a livingplant using biocompatible carbon-encapsulated Au-Ag nanoparticles (NPs) using micro-Raman spectroscopy (MRS). A convenient and controllable hydrothermal synthetic route was developed to synthesize the layer-by-layer triplex Au-Ag-C core-shell NPs, which can incorporate the reporter molecule 4-mercapto benzoic acid (4-MBA). A unique approach was devised to deliver the carbon-encapsulated surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) tags into the leaf of Nicotiana benthamiana. In vivo SERS mapping was subsequently performed to monitor the distribution of tags inside the leaf, which successfully avoided interference of autofluorescence from plant tissue. The imaging modality reported here and further the bio-functionalized carbon-encapsulated SERS NPshold significant potential as a strategy forbiochemical imaging in living plantsin a noninvasive and nontoxic manner, whichmight open up exciting opportunities for plant sciences.

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

“…45 In addition, Raman spectra ( Fig. [47][48][49] The tendency of nanoparticles to accumulate at oil-water interfaces is closely related to the size of the nanoparticles, interfacial energy of the biphasic system, and contact angle of the nanoparticles at the interface, where a contact angle of 90° provides the largest free energy change. It should be mentioned that tGO maintains excellent colloidal stability in aqueous media and exists as individual nanosheets, which is essential for its use as a nanospacer in the trilayer SERS substrate.…”

Mapping gold nanoparticles on and in edible leaves in situ using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

“…22 Due to its improved sensitivity, SERS has been applied for the detection of various chemical and biological targets in many areas, such as medical diagnosis, 23 food 24,25 and environmental safety. 29 To date, however, most of the analytical targets for SERS are chemical and biological compounds. For example, Rodríguez-Lorenzo et al utilized SERS-encoded gold nanostars for intracellular mapping.…”

Raman spectroscopic probing of plant material using SERS

“…SERS combines the structural selectivity of Raman spectroscopy with detection sensitivity comparable or even better than fluorescence. The method has a great potential for probing and sensing also biological objects and materials and should also be very useful for studying plants . Different approaches have been presented in the literature in order to exploit SERS for studying plants.…”

“…Enhanced Raman signals were measured because of contact of the extracted aqueous sample solution with a rough silver electrode. In other studies, metal plasmonic nanostructures have been used for SERS experiments on plants . Such structures, sometimes with an attached reporter molecule for SERS studies, were delivered into plants by injection or up take and have been imaged in roots, stems, and leafs based on the Raman signature of the reporter.…”