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Lanthanide-functionalized silver nanoparticles for detection of an anthrax biomarker and test paper fabrication

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Abstract

It is highly desirable to develop a simple and sensitive analytical method for detection of anthrax biomarker (dipicolinic acid, DPA) because of its dangerous nature. In this work, we developed a fluorescent sensor for DPA detection based on terbium ion-functionalized silver nanoparticles with an average size of 6.7 nm (AgNPs–Tb3+). The fluorescent intensity of Tb–DPA complex on the surface of AgNPs was two times higher than that of Tb–DPA complex alone in a solution phase due to the metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) effect of AgNPs. The proposed fluorescent sensor exhibits excellent selectivity and high sensitivity for DPA. Importantly, a test paper for DPA detection was fabricated for the first time by the integration of AgNPs–Tb3+ onto the nitrocellulose membrane. Owing to the MEF effect of AgNPs, the lowest detectable concentration of the test paper-integrated AgNPs–Tb3+ for DPA by naked eyes is 10 times lower than that of the test paper-integrated Tb3+ alone. We believe that the presented strategy may open up new avenues to the development of portable and robust-sensing platforms based on functional hybrid materials.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 21305054 and 21165010), Scientific Research Foundation of Jiangxi Normal University, Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (No. 20133604120002), Young Scientist Foundation of Jiangxi Province (20122BCB23011), and Open Project Program of Key Laboratory of Functional Small Organic Molecule, Ministry of Education (No. KLFS-KF-201214; KLFS-KF-201218).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Functional Small Organic Molecule, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, Jiangxi Province, People’s Republic of China

    Hongliang Tan, Qian Li, Chanjiao Ma, Yonghai Song, Fugang Xu, Shouhui Chen & Li Wang

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  1. Hongliang Tan
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  2. Qian Li
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  3. Chanjiao Ma
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  4. Yonghai Song
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  5. Fugang Xu
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  6. Shouhui Chen
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  7. Li Wang
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Correspondence to Hongliang Tan or Li Wang.

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Tan, H., Li, Q., Ma, C. et al. Lanthanide-functionalized silver nanoparticles for detection of an anthrax biomarker and test paper fabrication. J Nanopart Res 16, 2151 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-013-2151-y

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