Surface enhanced infrared absorption on Au nanoparticle films deposited on SiO2/Si for optical biosensing: Detection of the antibody-antigen reaction

The specific antibody-antigen reaction was detected by taking advantage of the effect of surface enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA). For the SEIRA active film, single Au nanoparticles (AuNP) deposited on the SiO2/Si wafer surface were used. After immobilizing specific antibodies onto the AuNP, these samples were then exposed to specific antigens (unspecific antigens, respectively); then the samples were investigated with infrared spectroscopy. In addition, the same kind of sample preparation was done using a 40 nm thick non-enhancing Au film, in order to compare the SEIRA transmission spectra to the infrared reflection absorption spectra (IRRAS) and therefore to determine the factor of the SEIRA enhancement. In both geometries, SEIRA transmission and IRRAS, the antibody-antigen coupling could clearly be detected; a comparison of the spectra showed, that the enhancement factor due to the Au nanoparticles is roughly 25.