Molecularly imprinted plasmonic nanosensor for selective SERS detection of protein biomarkers

Molecularly imprinted plasmonic nanosensor has been prepared via the rational design of an ultrathin polymer layer on the surface of gold nanorods imprinted with the target protein. This nanosensor enabled selective fishing-out of the target protein biomarker even from a complex real sample such as human serum. Sensitive SERS detection of the protein biomarkers with a strong Raman enhancement was achieved by formation of protein imprinted gold nanorods aggregates, stacking of protein imprinted gold nanorods onto a glass plate, or self-assembly of protein imprinted gold nanorods into close-packed array. High specificity and sensitivity of this method were demonstrated with a detection limit of at least 10-8 mol/L for the target protein. This could provide a promising alternative for the currently used immunoassays and fluorescence detection, and offer an ultrasensitive, non-destructive, and label-free technique for clinical diagnosis applications.