Gold nanorods-enhanced rhodamine B-permanganate chemiluminescence and its analytical application

A novel enhanced chemiluminescence system was developed by applying gold nanorods (Au NRs) as catalysts in rhodamine B-permanganate reaction. Au NRs with three different aspect ratios were synthesized by seed mediated growth method and characterized by UV–Vis spectra and transmission electron microscopy. It was demonstrated that Au NRs have much higher catalytic effect than spherical nanoparticles on rhodamine B-permanganate chemiluminescence reaction. Among various sizes of Au NRs, those with average aspect ratio of 3.0 were found to have the most remarkable catalytic activity. As an analytical application of the new chemiluminescence system, albumin as a model protein was quantified based on its interaction with NRs. Albumin binds to Au NRs active surfaces and inhibits their catalytic action and therefore decreases the intensity of chemiluminescence. This diminution effect is linearly related to the concentration of the human and bovine serum albumin over the ranges of 0.45–90 and 0.75–123 nmol L−1, respectively with the corresponding limits of detection of 0.18 and 0.30 nmol L−1. The method was successfully applied to the determination of albumin in human and bovine serum samples.

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► Gold nanorods catalyze rhodamine B-permanganate chemiluminescence reaction.
► Gold nanorods with aspect ratio of 3.0 have the most remarkable catalytic activity.
► The mechanism for CL reaction and its enhancement by nanorods is discussed.
► Albumin is determined at nanomolar level by using the enhanced CL system.