Fabrication of Bioprobe Self-Assembled on Au–Te Nanoworm Structure for SERS Biosensor

Abstract

In the present study, we propose a novel biosensor platform using a gold-tellurium (Au–Te) nanoworm structure through surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Au–Tenanoworm was synthesized by spontaneous galvanic replacement of sacrificial Te nanorods templated with Au (III) cations under ambient conditions. The fabricated Au–Te nanoworm exhibited an interconnected structure of small spherical nanoparticles and was found to be effective at enhancing Raman scattering. The Au–Te nanoworm-immobilized substrate exhibited the ability to detect thyroxine using an aptamer-tagged DNA three-way junction (3WJ) and glycoprotein 120 (GP120) human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) using an antibody. The modified substrates were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The optimal Au–Te nanoworm concentration and immobilization time for the thyroxine biosensor platform were further determined by SERS experimentation. Thus, the present study showed that the Au–Te nanoworm structure could be applied to various biosensor platforms.