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Gold nanoparticles-based colorimetric and visual creatinine assay

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Abstract

We demonstrate a selective and sensitive method for determination of creatinine using citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as a colorimetric probe. It is based on a direct cross-linking reaction that occurs between creatinine and AuNPs that causes aggregation of AuNPs and results in a color change from wine red to blue. The absorption peak is shifted from 520 to 670 nm. Under the optimized conditions, the shift in the absorption peak is related the logarithm of the creatinine concentration in the 0.1 to 20 mM range, and the instrumental detection limit (LOD) is 80 μM. This LOD is about one order of magnitude better than that that of the Jaffé method (720 μM). The assay displays good selectivity over interfering substances including various inorganic ions, organic small compounds, proteins, and biothiols. It was successfully employed to the determination of creatinine in spiked human urine.

The colorimetric assay for creatinine uses citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and a direct cross-linking reaction that occurs between creatinine and AuNPs that causes aggregation of AuNPs and results in a color change from wine red to blue.

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Acknowledgments

The support of this research by the Doctoral Program of Southwest University of Science and Technology (Grant Nos. 14zx7165), Foundation of Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province (Grant No. 2015JY0053), Teaching Reform Project of Southwest University of Science and Technology (Grant No. 15xn0077), and Undergraduate Innovation Fund Project of Southwest University of Science and Technology (CX15-011) is gratefully acknowledged.

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  1. School of National Defence Science & Technology, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, People’s Republic of China

    Yi He, Xianhui Zhang & Haili Yu

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  1. Yi He
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  2. Xianhui Zhang
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  3. Haili Yu
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Correspondence to Yi He.

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He, Y., Zhang, X. & Yu, H. Gold nanoparticles-based colorimetric and visual creatinine assay. Microchim Acta 182, 2037–2043 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-015-1546-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-015-1546-0

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