“…The nanoparticles (both AuNG and AuNC) underwent a ligand exchange process to replace their polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) surface ligands by 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (11-MUA), which enhances protein affinity to the nanoparticles. According to SERS ( Figure 1E), for the samples before ligand exchange, the peaks associated with the pyrrolidone groups (856 cm -1 , ring breathing), methylene groups (CH 2 bending, 1400~1500 cm -1 ; CH 2 twisting, 1180-1300 cm -1 ; CH 2 rocking, 720-1150 cm -1 ), and carbonyl groups (carbonyl stretching, 1583 cm -1 ) [25,26], indicate that PVP polymer chains lay on the nanoparticle surface and are anchored via their carbonyl group, instead of dangling in solution [27]. On the other hand, the SERS of 11-MUA-capped AuNG has only three major peaks: at 713 cm -1 , representing the vibration mode 8 of the C-S bond in trans conformation; at 1100 cm -1 , associated with the vibration mode of the C-C backbone; and the relatively weaker peak doublet at 1401 cm -1 and 1431 cm -1 that is attributed to the overlapping of the vibration mode of COO -1 in free solution and the stretching mode of CH 2 , respectively [28].…”