A Sensitive Epinephrine Sensor Based on Photochemically Synthesized Gold Nanoparticles


Metin E., Batıbay G. S., Aydın M., Arsu N.

CHEMOSENSORS, vol.13, no.7, pp.229, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 13 Issue: 7
  • Publication Date: 2025
  • Doi Number: 10.3390/chemosensors13070229
  • Journal Name: CHEMOSENSORS
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Aerospace Database, Communication Abstracts, INSPEC, Metadex, Directory of Open Access Journals, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Page Numbers: pp.229
  • Yıldız Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

In this study, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and AuNPs-graphene oxide (AuNPs@GO) nanostructures were synthesized in aqueous media using an in-situ photochemical method with bis-acyl phosphine oxide (BAPO) photoinitiator as a photoreducing agent in the presence of HAuCl4. The parameters for synthesis were arranged to obtain stable and reproducible dispersions with desirable chemical and optical properties. Both AuNPs and AuNPs@GO were employed as sensing platforms for the detection of epinephrine in two concentration ranges: micromolar (µM) and nanomolar (nM). Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), UV-Vis absorption, fluorescence emission, and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy techniques were used to investigate the morphological, optical, and chemical properties of the nanostructures as well as their sensing ability towards epinephrine. Fluorescence spectroscopy played a crucial role in demonstrating the high sensitivity and effectiveness of these systems, especially in the low concentration (nM) range, confirming their strong potential as fluorescence-based sensors. By constructing calibration curves on best linear subranges, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were calculated with two different approaches, SEintercept and Sy/x. Among all the investigated nanostructures, AuNPs@GO exhibited the highest sensitivity towards epinephrine. The efficiency and reproducibility of the in-situ photochemical AuNPs synthesis approach highlight its applicability in small-molecule detection and particularly in analytical and bio-sensing applications.