Thioglucose-stabilized gold nanoparticles as a novel platform for colorimetric bioassay based on nanoparticle aggregation.

Gold nanoparticles stabilized with thioglucose (TGlu-AuNPs), which have carboxyl groups on the particle surface as anchoring sites for covalent immobilization of biomolecules, were prepared by the chemical reduction of HAuCl4 using 1-thio-β-D-glucose as a reducing and stabilizing agent, and their application to colorimetric bioassay was demonstrated using the carbohydrate-lectin system. p-Aminophenyl α-D-mannose (Man-NH2) was covalently attached by a conventional method to the activated carboxyl groups on the TGlu-AuNPs. On addition of Con A to the Man-AuNPs, multiple binding events occurred between Con A and the mannoses immobilized on the particle surface.