ac5b03456_si_001.pdf (785.57 kB)
Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering Detection of Cancer Biomarkers with Bifunctional Nanocomposite Probes
journal contribution
posted on 2015-11-03, 00:00 authored by Jing Li, Zakiya Skeete, Shiyao Shan, Shan Yan, Katarzyna Kurzatkowska, Wei Zhao, Quang Minh Ngo, Polina Holubovska, Jin Luo, Maria Hepel, Chuan-Jian ZhongThis
report describes new findings of an investigation of a bifunctional
nanocomposite probe for the detection of cancer biomarkers, demonstrating
the viability of magnetic focusing and SERS detection in a microfluidic
platform. The nanocomposite probe consists of a magnetic nickel–iron
core and a gold shell. Upon bioconjugation, the nanoprobes are magnetically
focused on a specific spot in a microfluidic channel, enabling an
enrichment of “hot spots” for surface enhanced Raman
scattering detection of the targeted carcinoembryonic antigen. The
detection sensitivity, with a limit of detection of ∼0.1 pM,
is shown to scale with the magnetic focusing time and the nanoparticle
size. The latter is also shown to exhibit an excellent agreement between
the experimental data and the theoretical simulation. Implications
of the findings to the development of rapid and sensitive microfluidic
detection of cancer biomarkers are also discussed.