Frequency shifts in SERS for biosensing

ACS Nano. 2012 Jun 26;6(6):4892-902. doi: 10.1021/nn300352b. Epub 2012 Jun 6.

Abstract

We report an observation of a peculiar effect in which the vibrational frequencies of antibody-conjugated SERS-active reporter molecules are shifted in quantitative correlation with the concentration of the targeted antigen. We attribute the frequency shifts to mechanical perturbations in the antibody-reporter complex, as a result of antibody-antigen interaction forces. Our observation thus demonstrates the potentiality of an antibody-conjugated SERS-active reporter complex as a SERS-active nanomechanical sensor for biodetection. Remarkably, our sensing scheme, despite employing only one antibody, was found to be able to achieve detection sensitivity comparable to that of a conventional sandwich immunoassay. Additionally, we have carried out a proof-of-concept study into using multiple "stress-sensitive" SERS reporters for multiplexed detection of antigen-antibody bindings at the subdiffraction limit. The current work could therefore pave the way to realizing a label-free high-density protein nanoarray.

MeSH terms

  • Biosensing Techniques / instrumentation*
  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Immunoassay / instrumentation*
  • Nanotechnology / instrumentation*
  • Protein Array Analysis / instrumentation*
  • Spectrum Analysis, Raman / instrumentation*