José M. Abad

Synthesis of cobalt ferrite core/metallic shell nanoparticles for the development of a specific PNA/DNA biosensor

Controlled synthesis of cobalt ferrite superparamagnetic nanoparticles covered with a gold shell has been achieved by an affinity and trap strategy. Magnetic nanoparticles are functionalized with a mixture of amino and thiol groups that facilitate the electrostatic attraction and further chemisorption of gold nanoparticles, respectively. Using these nanoparticles as seeds, a complete coating shell is achieved by gold salt-iterative reduction leading to monodisperse water-soluble gold-covered magnetic nanoparticles, with an average diameter ranging from 21 to 29 nm. These constitute a versatile platform for immobilization of biomolecules via thiol chemistry, which is exemplified by the immobilization of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) oligomers that specifically hybridize with complementary DNA molecules in solution. Hybridation with DNA probes has been measured using Rhodamine 6G fluorescence marker and the detection of a single nucleotide mutation has been achieved. These results suggest the PNA-nanoparticles application as a biosensor for DNA genotyping avoiding commonly time-consuming procedures employed.

Direct electron transfer to a metalloenzyme redox center coordinated to a monolayer-protected cluster.

A strategy for establishing electrical contact to the metal center of a redox metalloenzyme, galactose oxidase (GOase), by coordination of a linker attached to a monolayer-protected gold cluster is presented. The cluster-enzyme hybrid system was first prepared in solution and characterized by high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy. Electrochemical communication between a gold electrode and GOase was achieved by first modifying the electrode surface with a biphenyl dithiol self-assembled monolayer followed by reaction with gold clusters capped with thioctic acid. GOase was then immobilized by replacement of the H(2)O molecule at the Cu(II) exogenous site by coordination of a carboxylate-terminated gold cluster. This chemical attachment ensured electrical contact between the redox center and the electrode, leading to direct mediatorless electron transfer to the protein. Hybrid systems can find applications in biosensors and biofuel cells and for studying electrochemically the catalytic mechanism of reactions for which free radicals and electron-transfer reactions are involved. The present results can be extended to other metalloenzymes.

Glutathione immunosensing platform based on total internal reflection ellipsometry enhanced by functionalized gold nanoparticles.

An immunosensor to detect small molecules, such as glutathione (GSH), has been developed by combination of ellipsometry and Kretschmann surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The Au thin film used for surface plasmon polariton (SPP) excitation is functionalized with anti-GSH to specifically bind GSH. At low concentrations, the small refractive index changes caused by the low molecular weight of GSH induced only negligible shifts in the plasmon resonant energy during GSH binding. To improve sensitivity, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are functionalized with glutathione acting as amplifiers of the antigen-antibody interaction. Changes induced by the AuNP adsorption are monitored using Ψ and Δ ellipsometric functions. After performing competitive assays using solutions containing different concentrations of free GSH and a constant amount of functionalized AuNPs, it was concluded that the resonant energy linearly shifts as the relative concentration of free GSH increases. A detection limit for free GSH in the nanomolar range is found, demonstrating the effectiveness of AuNPs to enhance the sensitivity to immunoreactions in total internal reflection ellipsometry.

Assembly of designed protein scaffolds into monolayers for nanoparticle patterning.

The controlled assembly of building blocks to achieve new nanostructured materials with defined properties at different length scales through rational design is the basis and future of bottom-up nanofabrication. This work describes the assembly of the idealized protein building block, the consensus tetratricopeptide repeat (CTPR), into monolayers by oriented immobilization of the blocks. The selectivity of thiol-gold interaction for an oriented immobilization has been verified by comparing a non-thiolated protein building block. The physical properties of the CTPR protein thin biomolecular films including topography, thickness, and viscoelasticity, are characterized. Finally, the ability of these scaffolds to act as templates for inorganic nanostructures has been demonstrated by the formation of well-packed gold nanoparticles (GNPs) monolayer patterned by the CTPR monolayer.

Scaffold electrodes based on thioctic acid-capped gold nanoparticles coordinated Alcohol Dehydrogenase and Azure A films for high performance biosensor.

Nanometric size gold nanoparticles capped with thiotic acid are used to coordinate with the Zn (II) present in the catalytic center of Alcohol Dehydrogenase (ADH). In combination with the NADH oxidation molecular catalyst Azure A, electrografted onto carbon screen-printed electrodes, they are used as scaffold electrodes for the construction of a very efficient ethanol biosensor. The final biosensing device exhibits a highly efficient ethanol oxidation with low overpotential of -0.25 V besides a very good analytical performance with a detection limit of 0.14±0.01 μM and a stable response for more than one month.

Multi-tasking Schiff base ligand: a new concept of AuNPs synthesis

AbstractMulti-tasking 3,4-dihydroxysalophen Schiff base tetradentate ligand (3,4-DHS) as reductant, stabilizer, and catalyst in a new concept of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) synthesis is demonstrated. 3,4-DHS is able to reduce HAuCl4 in water, acting also as capping agent for the generation of stable colloidal suspensions of Schiff base ligand-AuNPs assemblies of controlled size by providing a robust coating to AuNPs, within a unique reaction step. Once deposited on carbon electrodes, 3,4-DHS-AuNPs assemblies show a potent electrocatalytic effect towards hydrazine oxidation and hydrogen peroxide oxidation/reduction. Graphical AbstractMulti-tasking 3,4-dihydroxysalophen Schiff base tetradentate ligand (3,4-DHS) as reductant, stabilizer, and catalyst

Investigation of surface plasmon resonance in Au nanoparticles deposited on ZnO:Al thin films

Spectroscopic ellipsometry in external reflection (ER) and total internal reflection (TIR) modes is used to characterize surface plasmon resonance in Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) deposited on Al-doped ZnO films via surface thiolation. ER ellipsometry exhibits high sensitivity to the alkanethiol layer as well as to localized surface plasmons at energies around 2.3 eV. TIR ellipsometry reveals resonances at higher energies (2.9–3.35 eV), which are dependent on the environment used: air or deionized water. Coupling between charge dipoles inside the AZO layer and surface plasmons may account for the existence of those resonances.

Electrochemically Generated Nanoparticles of Halogen‐Bridged Mixed‐Valence Binuclear Metal Complex Chains

Spherical nanoparticles composed of MMX chains can be made by a polymerization strategy driven by electrochemical processes. In particular, the [Pt2(MeCS2)4I2] (MMI2) dimetal subunit is employed as a monomer for the formation of [Pt2(MeCS2)4I]n spherical nanostructures on surfaces. We have paid particular attention to elucidating the general mechanism of the deposition process on the basis of in situ electrochemical measurements. The reduction of MMI2 to give the electrodeposition of nanostructures agrees well with formation of the reduced [MMI2](-) species followed by a disproportionation mechanism mediated by iodide anions. The chemical composition of the particles was determined by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to reveal the MMI2 polymer.

Imaging resolution of biocatalytic activity using nanoscale scanning electrochemical microscopy

Scanning electrochemical microscopy represents a powerful tool for electro(chemical) characterization of surfaces, but its applicability has been limited in most cases at microscale spatial resolution, and the greatest challenge has been the scaling down to the nanoscale for fabrication and the use of nanometer-sized tips. Here, Pt nanoelectrodes with nanometer electroactive area were fabricated and employed for imaging a distribution of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and bioelectrocatalytic activity of a redox-active enzyme immobilized on gold surfaces.