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Gold nanoparticles crosslinking by peptides and amino acids: A tool for the colorimetric identification of amino acids
Author(s) -
Martínez Álvaro,
Scrimin Paolo
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
biopolymers
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.556
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1097-0282
pISSN - 0006-3525
DOI - 10.1002/bip.23111
Subject(s) - chemistry , amino acid , naked eye , nanoparticle , colloidal gold , oligopeptide , combinatorial chemistry , peptide , absorption (acoustics) , nanotechnology , chromatography , biochemistry , materials science , physics , acoustics , detection limit
Gold nanoparticles are known to aggregate in the presence of proper multifunctional compounds. For those larger than 3 nm, the process can be followed with the naked eye because the surface plasmon absorption band of the particles shifts to longer wavelengths and the solution color changes from red to blue. To exploit this property, we have used amino acids and peptides as crosslinking agents in ethanol at low µM concentrations. In the case of amino acids, we report a straightforward protocol for their colorimetric identification. We also report that the presence of precise secondary structure and conformational constraints in oligopeptides, directly influence their crosslinking ability. A discussion on the nature of the interactions that induce these phenomena is also reported.