Colorimetric detection of biological hydrogen sulfide using fluorosurfactant functionalized gold nanorods

Abstract

As a well-known environmental pollutant but also an important gaseous transmitter, the specific detection of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is significant in biological systems. In this study, fluorosurfactant functionalized gold nanorods (FSN-AuNRs) have been proposed to act as selective colorimetric nanoprobes for H₂S. With the combination of strong gold–S interactions and small FSN bilayer interstices, FSN-AuNRs demonstrate favorable selectivity and sensitivity toward H₂S over other anions and small biological molecules. The practical application of the present method in biological H₂S detection was validated with human and mouse serum samples. Moreover, the proposed nanoprobe can also be used for evaluating the activity of H₂S synthetase.