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Urease immobilized fluorescent gold nanoparticles for urea sensing
Upendra Kumar Parashar1, Narsingh R Nirala, Chandan Upadhyay
1Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, 208016, India.
Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology
|March 27, 2015
Summary
We developed a new method for detecting urea using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). This visual and fluorescent sensor offers sensitive detection limits for potential clinical diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Biochemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Urea detection is crucial for clinical diagnosis.
- Existing methods for urea detection can be complex or lack sensitivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a simple, sensitive, and selective method for detecting urea in aqueous solutions.
- To utilize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for visual and fluorescent sensing of urea.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized surfactant-free monodispersed gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with an average size of 15 nm.
- Functionalized thiol-capped AuNPs with urease enzyme using carbodiimide chemistry.
- Utilized the shift in surface plasmon band (SPB) maxima and fluorescence quenching for urea detection.
Main Results:
- A visible color change from red to blue/purple was observed with increasing urea concentration.
- The visual detection limit for urea was found to be 8 mg/dL.
- Fluorescence quenching provided a highly sensitive and selective lower detection limit of 5 mg/dL (R² = 0.99).
Conclusions:
- The developed AuNP-based sensor offers a sensitive and selective method for urea detection.
- The visual and fluorescent readouts provide complementary detection capabilities.
- This approach holds promise for applications in clinical diagnostics.
