Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Surface-enhanced Resonance Raman Scattering Nanoprobe Ratiometry for Detecting Microscopic Ovarian Cancer via Folate Receptor Targeting
Published on: March 25, 2019
Thiol-Disulfide Exchange Reaction for Cellular Glutathione Detection with Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering
Chenghua Wei1, Xiao Liu1, Yun Gao1
1The Education Ministry Key Lab of Resource Chemistry, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Functional Materials, Shanghai Municipal Education Committee Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging Probes and Sensors and Department of Chemistry , Shanghai Normal University , Shanghai 200234 , China.
Abstract:
Abnormal glutathione (GSH) levels are related to several diseases, including cancer. In this paper, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based on a 2-(pyridyldithio)ethylamine (PDEA)-modified AgNPs@Si wafer is proposed for intracellular GSH detection. PDEA plays multifunctional roles in the method, including the participation in the thiol-disulfide exchange reaction and the contribution of a great SERS signal reporter. With the addition of GSH, the disulfide bond of PDEA will be broken, releasing the pyridine ring in PDEA and resulting in a signal-off SERS response. The developed specific reaction-based SERS assay can detect GSH levels as low as 2.5 × 10-7 M. Subsequently, we employed this method to evaluate cellular GSH levels and found that the levels in cancer cells are higher than those in normal cells. The PDEA-modified AgNPs@Si-based SERS protocol demonstrates good selectivity and high sensitivity, as well as robustness, which is suitable to evaluate cellular GSH levels.
Related Concept Videos
Preparation and Reactions of Thiols
Phase II Reactions: Glutathione Conjugation and Mercapturic Acid Formation
Several distinctive characteristics distinguish glutathione conjugation from other phase II...
Types of Chemical Reactions: Exchange and Reversible
A special kind of exchange reaction is the oxidation-reduction reaction, or the redox reaction. These reactions involve the transfer of electrons from one compound to another. The electrons in these reactions commonly come from hydrogen atoms, which consist of an electron and a proton. A molecule gives up a...
Social Exchange Theory
Gas Exchange and Transport
Structure and Nomenclature of Thiols and Sulfides

