Quasi-spherical silver nanoparticles for human prolactin detection by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Prolactin is a polypeptide hormone made of 199 amino acids; 50% of the amino acid chain forms helices, and the rest forms loops. This hormone is typically related to initiating and maintaining lactation, although it is also elevated in various pathological conditions. Serum prolactin levels of 2 to 18 ng ml in men, up to 30 ng ml in women, and 10 to 210 ng ml in pregnant women are considered normal.

Computational and Experimental Analysis of Gold Nanorods in Terms of Their Morphology: Spectral Absorption and Local Field Enhancement.

A nanoparticle's shape and size determine its optical properties. Nanorods are nanoparticles that have double absorption bands associated to surface plasmon oscillations along their two main axes. In this work, we analize the optical response of gold nanorods with numerical simulations and spectral absorption measurements to evaluate their local field enhancement-which is key for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) applications.

TNF-α detection using gold nanoparticles as a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrate.

TNF-α is a cytokine involved in inflammation. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) could be useful in its detection. Identify the TNF-α in an aqueous solution, using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as a SERS substrate.