Work

Immobilization of DNA on nanostructured gold and silver substrates via alkanethiolate linkers: The influence of linker length

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Various single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) chains were attached to nanostructured gold and silver surfaces highly active in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. The DNA was attached to the metal surface using alkanethiol linkers with 6 or 3 carbon atoms in the chain, and then the metal surface was sealed with HS−(CH2)n−OH alkanethiols having the same number of carbon atoms in the chain as one of the linkers. The immobilized ssDNA was then hybridized with complementary ssDNA, which induced significant changes in the conformation of the chains of chemisorbed ω-substituted alkanethiols. We found that the differences between the SERS spectra of the DNA layers recorded before and after hybridization were much larger when thiols with 6 carbon atoms in the chain were used as linking and sealing compounds than when compounds with 3 carbon atoms in the chains were used. This means that, in SERS DNA sensors based on the rearrangement of linking layers, using C6 linkers should make it easier than C3 linkers to observe the rearrangement based on SERS measurements. The properties of the monolayers formed from the compounds used to seal the metal surfaces with immobilized DNA chains (6−mercaptohexanol and 3−mercaptopropanol) were also analyzed. It was found that monolayers on silver generally form faster, but are less stable, than those formed on gold.

Source: Spectrochimica Acta Part A Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy

DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2025.126344

Authors: Aleksandra Michałowska, Jan L. Weyher, Andrzej Kudelski

Institutions: University of Warsaw, Institute of High Pressure Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences

Language: English

Topic: Gold and Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis and Applications

Subfield: Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,750

Funder: Narodowe Centrum Nauki