Volume 223, 2020

Integration of bio-responsive silver in 1D photonic crystals: towards the colorimetric detection of bacteria

Abstract

The colour purity and versatility of fabrication of one-dimensional photonic crystals (1D PhCs) make them ideal candidates for colorimetric sensing of a variety of analytes. For instance, the detection of bacterial contaminants in food via colorimetric sensors can be highly appealing, as most of the existing detection techniques are in general time-consuming and the read-out requires specialised personnel. Here, we present a colorimetric sensor based on hybrid plasmonic/photonic 1D crystals. We demonstrate that the modification of the silver plasmon resonance brought about by the effective silver/bacterium interaction can be translated into the visible spectral region, producing a change in the structural colour. In addition, we observe a superior colorimetric sensitivity against the Gram negative Escherichia coli compared to the Gram positive Micrococcus luteus, a result that we attribute to the more efficient electrostatic interaction and cellular adhesion between the silver surface and the Gram-negative bacteria outer membrane. This approach demonstrates that in principle an easy colorimetric detection of bacterial contaminants can be achieved through the use of bio-responsive plasmonic materials, such as silver, whose selective electrostatic interaction with bacterial cell wall is well-known and occurs without the need of chemical functionalisation.

Graphical abstract: Integration of bio-responsive silver in 1D photonic crystals: towards the colorimetric detection of bacteria

Associated articles

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 feb. 2020
Accepted
06 mar. 2020
First published
06 mar. 2020

Faraday Discuss., 2020,223, 125-135

Integration of bio-responsive silver in 1D photonic crystals: towards the colorimetric detection of bacteria

G. M. Paternò, L. Moscardi, S. Donini, A. M. Ross, S. M. Pietralunga, N. Dalla Vedova, S. Normani, I. Kriegel, G. Lanzani and F. Scotognella, Faraday Discuss., 2020, 223, 125 DOI: 10.1039/D0FD00026D

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