Precisely Tuning LSPR Property via "Peptide-Encoded" Morphological Evolution of Gold Nanorods for Quantitative Visualization of Enzyme Activity.

Longitudinal surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)-based optical signals possess unique advantages in biomolecular sensing and detection which can be attributed to their ultrahigh sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio. However, the lack of effective strategies for morphological control of gold nanorods (GNRs) complicates the precise tuning of their LSPR property. Herein, a "peptide-encoded" strategy was first developed to precisely control the morphologies of GNRs via overgrowth of GNR seeds in the presence of thiol-containing peptides. Significantly, the "peptide-encoded" GNRs exhibit a tunable LSPR peak ranging from 685 to 877 nm by altering the amount of peptide. A few obvious colorimetric changes were accompanied from pink to purple and even to blue. Other parameters, e.g., pH, temperature, and Ag concentration, could also be utilized to regulate the morphologies of the "peptide-encoded" GNRs. The ultrasensitive detection of tumor-related protease activities based on LSPR peak shifts was further successfully performed without the need for labeling or instrumental aid, achieving a limit of detection of 60 fM. It is much lower than traditional absorption-based analysis (1 nM) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method (1 pM), indicating the great potential of this peptide-encoded strategy in the application of ultrasensitive biomarker assay and clinical diagnosis.