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Highly selective light scattering imaging of chromium (III) in living cells with silver nanoparticles

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Abstract

In this contribution, we present a highly selective chromium ion (Cr3+)-induced aggregation of citrate-capped silver nanoparticles, which could be applied for the imaging of the distribution of Cr3+ in cells. It was found that selective aggregation of citrate-capped silver nanoparticles occurs at room temperature in the presence of Cr3+ in aqueous medium of pH 6.8, resulting in color change from yellow to pink in 10 min and enhanced localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) scattering signals. Tenfold of other metal ions including Al3+, Ca2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, Hg2+, La3+, Mg2+, Ni2+, Pb2+, Tb3+ and Zn2+ had no response. Mechanism analysis showed that the aggregation is mainly dependent on the chelation of Cr3+ ion with the citrate ion capped on silver nanoparticles, forming crosslinking aggregates of silver nanoparticles. With the Cr3+-induced enhancement of LSPR scattering signals, Cr3+ in cytoplasm of human bone marrow neuroblastoma cells could be imaged with dark-field light scattering imaging technique.

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Acknowledgments

We greatly appreciate the financial supports of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (No. 2006CB 933100), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 20877063).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Education Ministry Key Laboratory on Luminescence and Real-Time Analysis, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China

    Tong Wu, Chun Liu, Ke Jun Tan, Ping Ping Hu & Cheng Zhi Huang

  2. Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yibin University, Yibin, 644000, China

    Tong Wu

Authors
  1. Tong Wu
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  2. Chun Liu
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  3. Ke Jun Tan
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  4. Ping Ping Hu
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  5. Cheng Zhi Huang
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Correspondence to Cheng Zhi Huang.

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Wu, T., Liu, C., Tan, K.J. et al. Highly selective light scattering imaging of chromium (III) in living cells with silver nanoparticles. Anal Bioanal Chem 397, 1273–1279 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-010-3619-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-010-3619-6

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