Fabrication of gold-silver core-shell nanoparticles for performing as ultrabright SERS-nanotags inside human ovarian cancer cells

This paper presents the fabrication and characterization of new gold-silver core-shell nanoparticles labeled with para-mercaptobenzoic acid (4MBA) molecules and demonstrates their use as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-nanotags with ultra-bright traceability inside cells and ability to co...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nanotechnology 2019-08, Vol.30 (31), p.315701-315701
Main Authors: Hada, Alexandru-Milentie, Potara, Monica, Suarasan, Sorina, Vulpoi, Adriana, Nagy-Simon, Timea, Licarete, Emilia, Astilean, Simion
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Benzoates - chemistry
Cell Line, Tumor
chitosan
core-shell nanoparticles
Female
Gold - chemistry
Humans
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Metal Nanoparticles - chemistry
ovarian cancer cells
Ovarian Neoplasms - chemistry
Ovarian Neoplasms - diagnosis
pH sensors
SERS tags
Silver - chemistry
Spectrum Analysis, Raman - methods
Sulfhydryl Compounds - chemistry
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Summary:This paper presents the fabrication and characterization of new gold-silver core-shell nanoparticles labeled with para-mercaptobenzoic acid (4MBA) molecules and demonstrates their use as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-nanotags with ultra-bright traceability inside cells and ability to convey spectrally-coded information about the intracellular pH by means of SERS. Unlike previous reported studies, our fabrication procedure includes in the first step the synthesis of chitosan-coated gold nanoparticles as a seed material with subsequent growing of a silver shell. The bimetallic core-shell structure is revealed by transmission electron microscopy, high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray elemental mapping and the presence of two interacting localized surface plasmon resonance modes in UV-vis extinction spectrum. The high SERS activity and sensitivity of as fabricated 4MBA-chit-Au-AgNPs nano-constructs to different pH in solution is investigated under 532 and 633 nm laser lines excitation. Next, in view of future studies in cancer diagnosis, the in vitro antiproliferative effects of SERS-nanotags against human ovarian adenocarcinoma cells (NIH:OVCAR-3) are evaluated. The capacity to operate as bright SERS nanotags with precise localization at a single cell level as well as intracellular pH indicators is clearly demonstrated by performing cell imaging under scanning confocal Raman microscopy.
ISSN:0957-4484
1361-6528
DOI:10.1088/1361-6528/ab1857