High sensitive detection of copper II ions using D-penicillamine-coated gold nanorods based on localized surface plasmon resonance

In this paper, we describe the development of a nanoplasmonic biosensor based on the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect that enables a sensitive and selective recognition of copper II ions. First, we fabricated the nanoplasmonics as LSPR substrates using gold nanorods (GNR) and the nano-adsorption method. The LSPR sensitivity of the nanoplasmonics was evaluated using various solvents with different refractive indexes. Subsequently, D-penicillamine (DPA)-a chelating agent of copper II ions-was conjugated to the surface of the GNR. The limit of detection (LOD) for the DPA-conjugated nanoplasmonics was 100 pM. Furthermore, selectivity tests were conducted using various divalent cations, and sensitivity tests were conducted on the nanoplasmonics under blood-like environments. Finally, the developed nanoplasmonic biosensor based on GNR shows great potential for the effective recognition of copper II ions, even in human blood conditions.