Issue 5, 2024

Colorimetric detection of oral bacteria using functionalized gold nanoparticles as a plasmonic biosensor array

Abstract

Early detection of specific oral bacterial species would enable timely treatment and prevention of certain oral diseases. In this work, we investigated the sensitivity and specificity of functionalized gold nanoparticles for plasmonic sensing of oral bacteria. This approach is based on the aggregation of positively charged gold nanoparticles on the negatively charged bacteria surface and the corresponding localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) shift. Gold nanoparticles were synthesized in different sizes, shapes and functionalization. A biosensor array was developed consisting of spherical- and anisotropic-shaped (1-hexadecyl) trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and spherical mercaptoethylamine (MEA) gold nanoparticles. It was used to detect four oral bacterial species (Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Actinomyces naeslundii, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Streptococcus oralis). The plasmonic response was measured and analysed using RGB and UV-vis absorbance values. Both methods successfully detected the individual bacterial species based on their unique responses to the biosensor array. We present an in-depth study relating the bacteria zeta potential and AuNP aggregation to plasmonic response. The sensitivity depends on multiple parameters, such as bacterial species and concentration as well as gold nanoparticle shape, concentration and functionalization.

Graphical abstract: Colorimetric detection of oral bacteria using functionalized gold nanoparticles as a plasmonic biosensor array

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
30 Jun 2023
Accepted
16 Jan 2024
First published
08 Feb 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Nanoscale Adv., 2024,6, 1447-1459

Colorimetric detection of oral bacteria using functionalized gold nanoparticles as a plasmonic biosensor array

C. Wenck, D. Leopoldt, M. Habib, J. Hegermann, M. Stiesch, K. Doll-Nikutta, A. Heisterkamp and M. L. Torres-Mapa, Nanoscale Adv., 2024, 6, 1447 DOI: 10.1039/D3NA00477E

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