Iodide‐Mediated Rapid and Sensitive Surface Etching of Gold Nanostars for Biosensing
Yunlei Xianyu, Yiyang Lin, Qu Chen, Alexis Belessiotis‐Richards, Molly M. Stevens, Michael R. Thomas
Abstract
Iodide-mediated surface etching can tailor the surface plasmon resonance of gold nanostars through etching of the high-energy facets of the nanoparticle protrusions in a rapid and sensitive way. By exploring the underlying mechanisms of this etching and the key parameters influencing it (such as iodide, oxygen, pH, and temperature), we show its potential in a sensitive biosensing system. Horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of iodide enables control of the etching of gold nanostars to spherical gold nanoparticles, where the resulting spectral shift in the surface plasmon resonance yields a distinct color change of the solution. We further develop this enzyme-modulated surface etching of gold nanostars into a versatile platform for plasmonic immunoassays, where a high sensitivity is possible by signal amplification via magnetic beads and click chemistry.