This research was supported by National Science Foundation (CCF 1814797) and University of Missouri Research Board, Material Research Center, and the College of Arts and Science at Missouri University of Science and Technology

1 . Preparation of Reagents
CAUTION: Please read and understand all relevant material safety data sheets (MSDS) before use. Some of the chemicals are toxic and volatile. Please follow special handling procedures and storage requirements. During the experimental procedure, use personal protective equipment, such as gloves, safety glasses, and a lab coat to avoid potential hazards.
<ol>
	<li>Preparation of Tris-HCl buffer
	<ol>
		<li>Dissolve 30.29 g of Tris powder in 100 mL of deionized H2O, ensure that the powder dissolves completely, and then transfer the solution to a 250 mL-volumetric flask.</li>
		<li>Add deionized H2O to the scale of 250 mL in the volumetric flask to give 1.0 M of Tris buffer.</li>
		<li>Dilute the 1.0 M Tris buffer 100 times to give 0.01 M Tris buffer and adjust the pH to 8.5 by using 1.0 M HCl standard solution.</li>
		<li>Use a pH-meter to calibrate the pH value of the 0.01 M Tris-HCl buffer.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Preparation of ND suspensions
	<ol>
		<li>Dilute 100 nm of monocrystalline ND suspensions (1.0 mg/mL) 50 times with the 0.01 M Tris-HCl buffer to give 0.02 mg/mL of ND suspensions.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Preparation of dopamine solution
	<ol>
		<li>Dissolve 20 mg of dopamine hydrochloride in 2.0 mL of 0.01 M Tris-HCl buffer to give 10 mg/mL DA solution. 
		&#8203;NOTE: The DA solution must be freshly prepared and used within 15 min.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Preparation of Ag[(NH3)2]OH solution
	<ol>
		<li>Dissolve 100 mg of AgNO3&#160;solid in 10 mL of deionized H2O to give 10 mg/mL AgNO3&#160;solution.</li>
		<li>Add 1.0 M ammonium hydroxide (NH3&#183;H2O) dropwise to the AgNO3&#160;solution until yellow precipitate forms, then continue to add the NH3&#183;H2O solution until the precipitation disappears. 
		NOTE: Make the minimum volume required; prepare immediately before use and dispose immediately after use. 
		CAUTION: Add NH3&#183;H2O in fume hood with face shields, gloves, and goggles.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
2 . Synthesis PDA Layer on the Surface of NDs (PDA-NDs)
<ol>
	<li>Add the freshly prepared DA solution (10 mg/mL) to the ND suspensions to give varied final concentrations of 50, 75, 100 &#181;g/mL of DA. Adjust the total reaction volume to 1.0 mL, transfer it to a 10 mL-test tube, and vigorously stir at 25 &#176;C, in the dark for 12 h.</li>
	<li>Centrifuge the PDA-NDs solution for 2 h at 16,000 x g, remove the supernatant and wash three times with deionized water for 1 h at 16, 000 x g each time.</li>
	<li>Re-disperse the PDA-NDs in 200 &#181;L of deionized water with sonication for 30 s. The PDA- coated NDs will be ready for further use.</li>
</ol>
3 . Reduction of AgNPs on the Surface of PDA-NDs (AgNPs-PDA-NDs)
<ol>
	<li>Dilute 40 &#181;L of the pre-synthesized PDA-NDs in Step 2.3 two times with deionized water. Add Ag[(NH3)2]OH solution to give various final concentrations of Ag[(NH3)2]+ (0.08, 0.16, 0.24, 0.40, and 0.60 mg/mL).</li>
	<li>Adjust the final volume to 100 &#181;L in a 1.5 mL-centrifuge tube by adding deionized water, followed by sonication for 10 min.</li>
	<li>Centrifuge the AgNPs-PDA-NDs for 15 min at 16,000 x g to remove the free silver ions, discard the supernatant after centrifugation, add 100 &#181;L of deionized water, and wash three times with deionized water at 16,000 x g for 5 min each time.</li>
	<li>Re-disperse the AgNPs-PDA-NDs in 100 &#181;L of deionizedwater with sonication for 30 s to prepare for further use.</li>
</ol>
4 . Analysis of PDA-NDs and AgNPs-PDA-NDs Clusters
<ol>
	<li>Ultraviolet-visible (UV) spectra
	<ol>
		<li>Use the UV spectra to monitor the average size distribution of AgNPs on PDA-ND surfaces. Transfer the AgNPs-PDA-NDs samples prepared in Step 3.4 with varied concentrations of Ag[(NH3)2]OH in 1 cm-quartz cuvette and monitor the absorption at a scan wavelength of 250 to 550 nm.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Transmission election microscopy (TEM)
	<ol>
		<li>Place the carbon coated copper grids on a glass slide wrapped with parafilm to keep the grids in place. Insert the glass slide with attached TEM grids into the plasma cleaner. Turn on the plasma cleaner and the vacuum pump. After 5 min, turn on the plasma and discharge the grids with a medium power level for 3 min.</li>
		<li>Deposit 5 &#181;L of the samples on the carbon film coated Cu-grids for 3 min. Use filter paper to wick off the extra sample from the edge of grid. Then, deposit a drop of deionized water on the grid for 15 s to remove salts, then wick off the water with filter paper. Repeat the washing procedure twice and allow the grid to air dry for further use.</li>
		<li>Visualize the samples by TEM, typically at 38,000X magnification. Operate at 200 KV.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>

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The authors have nothing to disclose.

This article provides a detailed protocol for the surface functionalization of NDs with self-polymerized DA coating, and the reduction of Ag[(NH3)2]+ to AgNPs on PDA layers (Figure 3). The strategy is capable of producing various thicknesses of PDA layers by simply changing the concentration of DA. The size of the AgNPs can also be controlled by altering the original concentration of metal ion solution. The TEM image in Figure 1<...

Nanodiamonds (NDs), a novel carbon-based material, have attracted considerable attention in recent years for use in various applications1,2. For instance, the high surface areas of NDs provide excellent catalyst support for metal nanoparticles (NPs) because of their super-chemical stability and thermal conductivity3. Furthermore, NDs play significant roles in bio-imaging, bio-sensing, and drug delivery due to their outstanding biocompatibility and nontoxicity4,5.
To efficiently extend their capabilities, it is valuable to conjugate functional species on the surfaces of NDs, such as proteins, nucleic acids, and nanoparticles6. Although a variety of functional groups (e.g., hydroxyl, carboxyl, lactone, etc.) are created on the surfaces of NDs during their purification, the conjugation yields of the functional groups are still very low because of the low density of each active chemical group7. This results in unstable NDs, which tend to aggregate, limiting further application8.
Currently, the most common methods used to functionalize NDs, are covalent conjugation by using copper-free click chemistry9, covalent linkage of peptide nucleic acids (PNA)10, and self-assembled DNA11. The non-covalent wrapping of NDs has also been proposed, including carbohydrate-modified BSA4, and HSA12coating. However, because these methods are time consuming and inefficient, it is desirable that a simple and generally applicable method can be developed to modify the surfaces of NDs.
Dopamine (DA)13, known as a natural neurotransmitter in the brain, was widely used for adhering and functionalizing nanoparticles, such as gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)14, Fe2O315, and SiO216. Self-polymerized PDA layers enrich amino and phenolic groups, which can be further utilized to directly reduce metal nanoparticles or to easily immobilize thiol/amine-containing biomolecules on an aqueous solution. This simple approach was recently applied to functionalize NDs by Qin et al. and our laboratory17,18, although DA derivatives were employed to modify NDs via Click Chemistry in earlier studies19,20.
Here, we describe a simple PDA-based surface modification method that efficiently functionalizes NDs. By varying the concentration of DA, we can control the thickness of a PDA layer from a few nanometers to tens of nanometers. In addition, the metal nanoparticles are directly reduced and stabilized on the PDA surface without the need for additional toxic reduction agents. The sizes of the silver nanoparticles depend on the initial concentrations of Ag[(NH3)2]+. This method allows the well-controlled deposition of PDA on the surfaces of NDs and the synthesis of ND conjugated AgNPs, which dramatically extends the functionality of NDs as excellent nano-platforms of catalyst supports, bio-imaging, and bio-sensors.

<table><tbody><tr><td>Nanodiamond</td><td>FND Biotech, Inc.</td><td>brFND-100</td><td>dispersed in water, and used without further purification</td></tr><tr><td>Dopamine hydrochloride</td><td>Sigma</td><td>H8502-25G</td><td>prepare freshly</td></tr><tr><td>Silver Nitrate</td><td>Fisher</td><td>S181-25</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ammonium Hydroxide</td><td>Fisher</td><td>A669S-500</td><td>highly toxic</td></tr><tr><td>Tris Hydrochloride</td><td>Fisher</td><td>BP153-500</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>TEM grid carbon film</td><td>Ted Pella</td><td>01843-F</td><td>300 mesh copper</td></tr></tbody></table>

bio-inspired polydopamine surface modification of nanodiamonds and its reduction of silver nanoparticles

Surface functionalization of nanodiamonds (NDs) is still challenging due to the diversity of functional groups on the ND surfaces. Here, we demonstrate a simple protocol for the multifunctional surface modification of NDs by using mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA) coating. In addition, the functional layer of PDA on NDs could serve as a reducing agent to synthesize and stabilize metal nanoparticles. Dopamine (DA) can self-polymerize and spontaneously form PDA layers on ND surfaces if the NDs and dopamine are simply mixed together. The thickness of a PDA layer is controlled by varying the concentration of DA. A typical result shows that a thickness of ~5 to ~15 nm of the PDA layer can be reached by adding 50 to 100 &#181;g/mL of DA to 100 nm ND suspensions. Furthermore, the PDA-NDs are used as a substrate to reduce metal ions, such as Ag[(NH3)2]+, to silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The sizes of the AgNPs rely on the initial concentrations of Ag[(NH3)2]+. Along with an increase in the concentration of Ag[(NH3)2]+, the number of NPs increases, as well as the diameters of the NPs. In summary, this study not only presents a facile method for modifying the surfaces of NDs with PDA, but also demonstrates the enhanced functionality of NDs by anchoring various species of interest (such as AgNPs) for advanced applications.

The formation of PDA layers on ND surfaces were analyzed by TEM (Figure 1). Different thicknesses of PDA layers were observed as higher concentrations of DA led to thicker PDA layers. In addition, after an encapsulating reaction, the color of the NDs solution changed from colorless to dark, while the higher the initial concentration of DA was, the darker the solution became.
Fig...

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Bio-inspired Polydopamine Surface Modification of Nanodiamonds and Its Reduction of Silver Nanoparticles

A facile protocol is presented to functionalize the surfaces of nanodiamonds with polydopamine.

Surface functionalization of nanodiamonds (NDs) is still challenging due to the diversity of functional groups on the ND surfaces. Here, we demonstrate a ...

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8.1K Views.  Missouri University of Science and Technology. A facile protocol is presented to functionalize the surfaces of nanodiamonds with polydopamine.

Video: Bio-inspired Polydopamine Surface Modification of Nanodiamonds and Its Reduction of Silver Nanoparticles

A Technique to Functionalize and Self-assemble Macroscopic Nanoparticle-ligand Monolayer Films onto Template-free Substrates

This protocol describes a self-assembly technique to create macroscopic monolayer films composed of ligand-coated nanoparticles1,2. The simple, robust and scalable technique efficiently functionalizes metallic nanoparticles with thiol-ligands in a miscible water/organic solvent mixture allowing for rapid grafting of thiol groups onto the gold nanoparticle surface. The hydrophobic ligands on the nanoparticles then quickly phase separate the nanoparticles from the aqueous based suspension and confine them to the air-fluid interface. This drives the ligand-capped nanoparticles to form monolayer domains at the air-fluid interface.&#160; The use of water-miscible organic solvents is important as it enables the transport of the nanoparticles from the interface onto template-free substrates.&#160; The flow is mediated by a surface tension gradient3,4 and creates macroscopic, high-density, monolayer nanoparticle-ligand films.&#160; This self-assembly technique may be generalized to include the use of particles of different compositions, size, and shape and may lead to an efficient assembly method to produce low-cost, macroscopic, high-density, monolayer nanoparticle films for wide-spread applications.

A simple, robust and scalable technique to functionalize and self-assemble macroscopic nanoparticle-ligand monolayer films onto template-free substrates is described in this protocol.

This protocol describes a self-assembly technique to create macroscopic monolayer films composed of ligand-coated nanoparticles1,2. The simple, robust and ...

Synthesis, Characterization, and Functionalization of Hybrid Au/CdS and Au/ZnS Core/Shell Nanoparticles

Plasmonic nanoparticles are an attractive material for light harvesting applications due to their easily modified surface, high surface area and large extinction coefficients which can be tuned across the visible spectrum. Research into the plasmonic enhancement of optical transitions has become popular, due to the possibility of altering and in some cases improving photo-absorption or emission properties of nearby chromophores such as molecular dyes or quantum dots. The electric field of the plasmon can couple with the excitation dipole of a chromophore, perturbing the electronic states involved in the transition and leading to increased absorption and emission rates. These enhancements can also be negated at close distances by energy transfer mechanism, making the spatial arrangement of the two species critical. Ultimately, enhancement of light harvesting efficiency in plasmonic solar cells could lead to thinner and, therefore, lower cost devices. The development of hybrid core/shell particles could offer a solution to this issue. The addition of a dielectric spacer between a gold nanoparticles and a chromophore is the proposed method to control the exciton plasmon coupling strength and thereby balance losses with the plasmonic gains. A detailed procedure for the coating of gold nanoparticles with CdS and ZnS semiconductor shells is presented. The nanoparticles show high uniformity with size control in both the core gold particles and shell species allowing for a more accurate investigation into the plasmonic enhancement of external chromophores.

The synthesis of uniform gold nanoparticles coated with semiconductor shells of CdS or ZnS is performed. The semiconductor coating is conducted by first depositing a silver sulfide shell and exchanging the silver cations for zinc or cadmium cations.

Plasmonic nanoparticles are an attractive material for light harvesting applications due to their easily modified surface, high surface area and large ...

Assessment of Boron Doped Diamond Electrode Quality and Application to In Situ Modification of Local pH by Water Electrolysis

Boron doped diamond (BDD) electrodes have shown considerable promise as an electrode material where many of their reported properties such as extended solvent window, low background currents, corrosion resistance, etc., arise from the catalytically inert nature of the surface. However, if during the growth process, non-diamond-carbon (NDC) becomes incorporated into the electrode matrix, the electrochemical properties will change as the surface becomes more catalytically active. As such it is important that the electrochemist is aware of the quality and resulting key electrochemical properties of the BDD electrode prior to use. This paper describes a series of characterization steps, including Raman microscopy, capacitance, solvent window and redox electrochemistry, to ascertain whether the BDD electrode contains negligible NDC i.e. negligible sp2 carbon. One application is highlighted which takes advantage of the catalytically inert and corrosion resistant nature of an NDC-free surface i.e. stable and quantifiable local proton and hydroxide production due to water electrolysis at a BDD electrode. An approach to measuring the local pH change induced by water electrolysis using iridium oxide coated BDD electrodes is also described in detail.

Assessment of Boron Doped Diamond Electrode Quality and Application to In Situ Modification of Local pH by Water Electrolysis

A protocol is described for the characterization of the key electrochemical parameters of a boron doped diamond (BDD) electrode and subsequent application for in situ pH generation experiments.

Boron doped diamond (BDD) electrodes have shown considerable promise as an electrode material where many of their reported properties such as extended ...

Advanced Compositional Analysis of Nanoparticle-polymer Composites Using Direct Fluorescence Imaging

The fabrication of polymer-nanoparticle composites is extremely important in the development of many functional materials. Identifying the precise composition of these materials is essential, especially in the design of surface catalysts, where the surface concentration of the active component determines the activity of the material. Antimicrobial materials which utilize nanoparticles are a particular focus of this technology. Recently swell encapsulation has emerged as a technique for inserting antimicrobial nanoparticles into a host polymer matrix. Swell encapsulation provides the advantage of localizing the incorporation to the external surfaces of materials, which act as the active sites of these materials. However, quantification of this nanoparticle uptake is challenging. Previous studies explore the link between antimicrobial activity and surface concentration of the active component, but this is not directly visualized. Here we show a reliable method to monitor the incorporation of nanoparticles into a polymer host matrix via swell encapsulation. We show that the surface concentration of CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles can be accurately visualized through cross-sectional fluorescence imaging. Using this method, we can quantify the uptake of nanoparticles via swell encapsulation and measure the surface concentration of encapsulated particles, which is key in optimizing the activity of functional materials.

Here we present a reliable method to monitor the incorporation of nanoparticles into a polymer host matrix via swell encapsulation. We show that the surface concentration of cadmium selenide quantum dots can be accurately visualized through cross-sectional fluorescence imaging.

The fabrication of polymer-nanoparticle composites is extremely important in the development of many functional materials. Identifying the precise ...

Engineering

Rapid Nanoprobe Signal Enhancement by In Situ Gold Nanoparticle Synthesis

The use of nanoprobes such as gold, silver, silica or iron-oxide nanoparticles as detection reagents in bioanalytical assays can enable high sensitivity and convenient colorimetric readout. However, high densities of nanoparticles are typically needed for detection. The available synthesis-based enhancement protocols are either limited to gold and silver nanoparticles or rely on precise enzymatic control and optimization. Here, we present a protocol to enhance the colorimetric readout of gold, silver, silica, and iron oxide nanoprobes. It was observed that the colorimetric signal can be improved by up to a 10000-fold factor. The basis for such signal enhancement strategies is the chemical reduction of Au3+ to Au0. There are several chemical reactions that enable the reduction of Au3+ to Au0. In the protocol, Good&#39;s buffers and H2O2 are used and it is possible to favor the deposition of Au0 onto the surface of existing nanoprobes, in detriment of the formation of new gold nanoparticles. The protocol consists of the incubation of the microarray with a solution consisting of chloroauric acid and H2O2 in 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid pH 6 buffer following the nanoprobe-based detection assay. The enhancement solution can be applied to paper and glass-based sensors. Moreover, it can be used in commercially available immunoassays as demonstrated by the application of the method to a commercial allergen microarray. The signal development requires less than 5 min of incubation with the enhancement solution and the readout can be assessed by naked eye or low-end image acquisition devices such as a table-top scanner or a digital camera.

Rapid Nanoprobe Signal Enhancement by In Situ Gold Nanoparticle Synthesis

In this work, a protocol for signal enhancement of nanoprobe-based biosensing is presented. The protocol is based on the reduction of chloroauric acid onto the surface of existing nanoprobes that consist of gold, silver, silica or iron-oxide nanoparticles.

The use of nanoprobes such as gold, silver, silica or iron-oxide nanoparticles as detection reagents in bioanalytical assays can enable high sensitivity ...

Gold Nanoparticle Modified Carbon Fiber Microelectrodes for Enhanced Neurochemical Detection

For over 30 years, carbon-fiber microelectrodes (CFMEs) have been the standard for neurotransmitter detection. Generally, carbon fibers are aspirated into glass capillaries, pulled to a fine taper, and then sealed using an epoxy to create electrode materials that are used for fast scan cyclic voltammetry testing. The use of bare CFMEs has several limitations, though. First and foremost, the carbon fiber contains mostly basal plane carbon, which has a relatively low surface area and yields lower sensitivities than other nanomaterials. Furthermore, the graphitic carbon is limited by its temporal resolution, and its relatively low conductivity. Lastly, neurochemicals and macromolecules have been known to foul at the surface of carbon electrodes where they form non-conductive polymers that block further neurotransmitter adsorption. For this study, we modify CFMEs with gold nanoparticles to enhance neurochemical testing with fast scan cyclic voltammetry. Au3+ was electrodeposited or dipcoated from a colloidal solution onto the surface of CFMEs. Since gold is a stable and relatively inert metal, it is an ideal electrode material for analytical measurements of neurochemicals. Gold nanoparticle modified (AuNP-CFMEs) had a stability to dopamine response for over 4 h. Moreover, AuNP-CFMEs exhibit an increased sensitivity (higher peak oxidative current of the cyclic voltammograms) and faster electron transfer kinetics (lower &#916;EP or peak separation) than bare unmodified CFMEs. The development of AuNP-CFMEs provides the creation of novel electrochemical sensors for detecting fast changes in dopamine concentration and other neurochemicals at lower limits of detection. This work has vast applications for the enhancement of neurochemical measurements. The generation of gold nanoparticle modified CFMEs will be vitally important for the development of novel electrode sensors to detect neurotransmitters in vivo in rodent and other models to study neurochemical effects of drug abuse, depression, stroke, ischemia, and other behavioral and disease states.

In this study, we modify carbon-fiber microelectrodes with gold nanoparticles to enhance the sensitivity of neurotransmitter detection.

For over 30 years, carbon-fiber microelectrodes (CFMEs) have been the standard for neurotransmitter detection. Generally, carbon fibers are aspirated into ...

Photodeposition of Pd onto Colloidal Au Nanorods by Surface Plasmon Excitation

A protocol is described to photocatalytically guide Pd deposition onto Au nanorods (AuNR) using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Excited plasmonic hot electrons upon SPR irradiation drive reductive deposition of Pd on colloidal AuNR in the presence of [PdCl4]2-. Plasmon-driven reduction of secondary metals potentiates covalent, sub-wavelength deposition at targeted locations coinciding with electric field &#8220;hot-spots&#8221; of the plasmonic substrate using an external field (e.g., laser). The process described herein details a solution-phase deposition of a catalytically-active noble metal (Pd) from a transition metal halide salt (H2PdCl4) onto aqueously-suspended, anisotropic plasmonic structures (AuNR). The solution-phase process is amenable to making other bimetallic architectures. Transmission UV-vis monitoring of the photochemical reaction, coupled with ex situ XPS and statistical TEM analysis, provide immediate experimental feedback to evaluate properties of the bimetallic structures as they evolve during the photocatalytic reaction. Resonant plasmon irradiation of AuNR in the presence of [PdCl4]2- creates a thin, covalently-bound Pd0 shell without any significant dampening effect on its plasmonic behavior in this representative experiment/batch. Overall, plasmonic photodeposition offers an alternative route for high-volume, economical synthesis of optoelectronic materials with sub-5 nm features (e.g., heterometallic photocatalysts or optoelectronic interconnects).

A protocol for anisotropic photodeposition of Pd onto aqueously-suspended Au nanorods via localized surface plasmon excitation is presented.

A protocol is described to photocatalytically guide Pd deposition onto Au nanorods (AuNR) using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Excited plasmonic hot ...

Engineering Molecular Recognition with Bio-mimetic Polymers on Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are a class of optically active nanomaterial that fluoresce in the near infrared, coinciding with the optical window where biological samples are most transparent. Here, we outline techniques to adsorb amphiphilic polymers and polynucleic acids onto the surface of SWNTs to engineer their corona phases and create novel molecular sensors for small molecules and proteins. These functionalized SWNT sensors are both biocompatible and stable. Polymers are adsorbed onto the nanotube surface either by direct sonication of SWNTs and polymer or by suspending SWNTs using a surfactant followed by dialysis with polymer. The fluorescence emission, stability, and response of these sensors to target analytes are confirmed using absorbance and near-infrared fluorescence spectroscopy. Furthermore, we demonstrate surface immobilization of the sensors onto glass slides to enable single-molecule fluorescence microscopy to characterize polymer adsorption and analyte binding kinetics.

We present a protocol for engineering the corona phase of near infrared fluorescent single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) using amphiphilic polymers and DNA to develop sensors for molecular targets without known recognition elements.

Semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are a class of optically active nanomaterial that fluoresce in the near infrared, coinciding with the ...

Bioengineering

Fabrication of Flexible Substrate for SERS Detection of R6G and Thiram

Fabrication of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-Based Flexible Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Substrate for Ultrasensitive Detection

This article presents a fabrication method for a flexible substrate designed for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS). Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized through a complexation reaction involving silver nitrate (AgNO3) and ammonia, followed by reduction using glucose. The resulting AgNPs exhibited a uniform size distribution ranging from 20 nm to 50 nm. Subsequently, 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) was employed to modify a PDMS substrate that had been surface-treated with oxygen plasma. This process facilitated the self-assembly of AgNPs onto the substrate. A systematic evaluation of the impact of various experimental conditions on substrate performance led to the development of a SERS substrate with excellent performance and an Enhanced Factor (EF). Utilizing this substrate, impressive detection limits of 10-10 M for R6G (Rhodamine 6G) and 10-8 M for Thiram were achieved. The substrate was successfully employed for detecting pesticide residues on apples, yielding highly satisfactory results. The flexible SERS substrate demonstrates great potential for real-world applications, including detection in complex scenarios.

Author Spotlight: Development and Application of SERS Flexible Substrates Using Synthesized AgNPs 

This protocol describes a fabrication method for a flexible substrate for surface-enhanced Raman scattering. This method has been used in the successful detection of low concentrations of R6G and Thiram.

This article presents a fabrication method for a flexible substrate designed for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS). Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) ...

Dendrimer-based Uneven Nanopatterns to Locally Control Surface Adhesiveness: A Method to Direct Chondrogenic Differentiation

Cellular adhesion and differentiation is conditioned by the nanoscale disposition of the extracellular matrix (ECM) components, with local concentrations having a major effect. Here we present a method to obtain large-scale uneven nanopatterns of arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD)-functionalized dendrimers that permit the nanoscale control of local RGD surface density. Nanopatterns are formed by surface adsorption of dendrimers from solutions at different initial concentrations and are characterized by water contact angle (CA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning probe microscopy techniques such as scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The local surface density of RGD is measured using AFM images by means of probability contour maps of minimum interparticle distances and then correlated with cell adhesion response and differentiation. The nanopatterning method presented here is a simple procedure that can be scaled up in a straightforward manner to large surface areas. It is thus fully compatible with cell culture protocols and can be applied to other ligands that exert concentration-dependent effects on cells.

A method to obtain dendrimer-based uneven nanopatterns that permit the nanoscale control of local arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) surface density is described and applied for the study of cell adhesion and chondrogenic differentiation.

Cellular adhesion and differentiation is conditioned by the nanoscale disposition of the extracellular matrix (ECM) components, with local concentrations ...

Bio-inspired Polydopamine Surface Modification of Nanodiamonds and Its Reduction of Silver Nanoparticles

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A Technique to Functionalize and Self-assemble Macroscopic Nanoparticle-ligand Monolayer Films onto Template-free Substrates

Synthesis, Characterization, and Functionalization of Hybrid Au/CdS and Au/ZnS Core/Shell Nanoparticles

Assessment of Boron Doped Diamond Electrode Quality and Application to In Situ Modification of Local pH by Water Electrolysis

Advanced Compositional Analysis of Nanoparticle-polymer Composites Using Direct Fluorescence Imaging

Rapid Nanoprobe Signal Enhancement by In Situ Gold Nanoparticle Synthesis

Gold Nanoparticle Modified Carbon Fiber Microelectrodes for Enhanced Neurochemical Detection

Photodeposition of Pd onto Colloidal Au Nanorods by Surface Plasmon Excitation

Engineering Molecular Recognition with Bio-mimetic Polymers on Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Fabrication of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-Based Flexible Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Substrate for Ultrasensitive Detection

Dendrimer-based Uneven Nanopatterns to Locally Control Surface Adhesiveness: A Method to Direct Chondrogenic Differentiation