A Gold Nanoparticle-enhanced Surface Plasmon Resonance Aptasensor for the Detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene

Abstract

A gold nanoparticle-enhanced surface plasmon resonance (SPR) aptasensor was developed for high-specificity and high-sensitivity detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). Self-assembly film-forming technology was used to modify the gold surface of the sensor chip with 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl glycine, a TNT analogue, using polyethylene glycol to which the thiol group and carboxyl group are attached. Aptamer-gold nanoparticle complexes were formed through Au-S bonding. To detect TNT, the samples were incubated with the aptamer-gold nanoparticle complexes, and the solution competition method was applied through the SPR aptasensor. The results showed that the SPR aptasensor achieved fast, real-time detection of TNT. This gold nanoparticle-enhanced SPR aptasensor is suitable for TNT detection in the field of public safety and environmental monitoring.

Keywords

• Aptamer
• surface plasmon resonance
• TNT