Fibrous substrate and method for making
Natural and/or synthetic antibodies for specific proteins are adhered to nanoparticles. The nanoparticles are adhered to a substrate and the substrate is exposed to a sample that may contain the specific proteins. The substrates are then tested with surface enhanced Raman scattering techniques and/or localized surface plasmon resonance techniques to quantify the amount of the specific protein in the sample.
1. A fibrous substrate comprising a plasmonic biosensor comprising a nanostructure core and an agent that specifically binds to a target molecule immobilized to the nanostructure core, wherein the plasmonic biosensor is adsorbed to the fibrous substrate, and wherein the nanostructure core comprises metal nanorods.
2. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the fibrous substrate is selected from the group consisting of a paper and a fibrous mat.
3. The fibrous substrate of claim 1 wherein the nanostructure core is selected from the group consisting of a gold nanostructure core, a silver nanostructure core, a copper nanostructure core, and combinations thereof.
4. The fibrous substrate of claim 1 further comprising a linker to immobilize the agent to the nanostructure core.
5. A method of preparing a fibrous substrate comprising a plasmonic biosensor, the method comprising:
preparing a plasmonic biosensor by a method comprising
synthesizing a nanostructure core, wherein the nanostructure core comprises metal nanorods; and
immobilizing at least one agent to the nanostructure core, wherein the agent specifically binds to a target molecule; and
adsorbing the plasmonic biosensor to a fibrous substrate.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the fibrous substrate is selected from the group consisting of a paper and a fibrous mat.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein the nanostructure core is selected from the group consisting of a gold nanostructure core, a silver nanostructure core, a copper nanostructure core, and combinations thereof.
8. The method of claim 5 wherein the at least one agent is immobilized to the nanostructure core by a linker.