SERS reveals the specific interaction of silver and gold nanoparticles with hemoglobin and red blood cell components

Abstract

The interaction of nanoparticles with hemoglobin (Hb), a major constituent of red blood cells, is important in nanotoxicity research. We report SERS spectra of Hb using gold and silver nanoparticles at very small nanoparticle : Hb molecule ratios, that is, under conditions relevant for SERS-based nanotoxicity experiments with red blood cells at high sensitivity. We show that the structural information obtained from the experiment is highly dependent on the type of SERS substrate and the conditions under which the interaction of nanoparticles with Hb molecules takes place. In experiments with isolated red blood cells, we demonstrate that the dependence of the spectra on the type of nanoparticle used as the SERS substrate extends to whole red blood cells and red blood cell components. Regarding the applicability of SERS to red blood cells in vivo, evidence is provided that the molecular information contained in the spectra is highly dependent on the material and size of the nanoparticles. The results indicate specific interactions of gold and silver nanoparticles with Hb and the red blood cell membrane, and reflect the hemolytic activity of silver nanoparticles. The results of this study help improve our understanding of the interactions of silver and gold nanoparticles with red blood cells.

Nanoplasmonic Chitosan Nanofibers as Effective SERS Substrate for Detection of Small Molecules

“…These substrates have been used to control the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of plasmonic nanoparticles and to create highly sensitive sensors, in particular by surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) [10][11][12][13] . SERS has emerged as a powerful analytical technique for probing single molecules 14,15 , ions 16 , biomolecules 17 , and for cell studies 18,19 . In spite of the achievements of using rigid substrates as SERS sensors one needs to design systems that can be applied outside a specialized laboratory.…”

Raman spectroscopy: techniques and applications in the life sciences

“…A wide variety of cells and organelles have been studied using various modes of SERS such as lymphocytes [285], hemoglobin and other components of red blood cells [286], intracellular lipid compartments [287], mitochondria [288], stem cell differentiation into cardiomyocytes [289], differentiation of neuronal cells [290], and yeast cell wall spectroscopy [291] and imaging [291]. SERS particles functionalized with immunolabels have also been used to measure the external surface of endothelial cell membranes [292].…”

Raman Spectroscopy of Blood and Blood Components

“…50 One of the co-authors of the latter study (McNaughton) was a member of the Monash group who were responsible for much of the earlier work on the oxygenation/deoxygenation cycle. The following year he was involved in another SERS study that characterized the interaction between nanoparticles and hemoglobin/RBCs, 51 and the year after that he co-authored work on hemoglobin's non-fundamental Raman modes; 52 enhanced overtones were observed in spectra of RBCs that, interestingly, were not found in hemoglobin solutions. McNaughton and another member of the Monash group (Wood) would go on to publish many Raman spectroscopy studies of pathology in erythrocytes, which are discussed in the relevant section below.…”