Polyvinylpyrrolidone- (PVP-) coated silver aggregates for high performance surface-enhanced Raman scattering in living cells

Authors:
  • ZWZhuyuan Wang
    Zhuyuan Wang
  • JYJing Yang
    Jing Yang
  • RZRuohu Zhang
    Ruohu Zhang
  • YCYiping Cui
    Yiping Cui
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Abstract
A biocompatible and stable surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) probe has been successfully synthesized through a simple route with silver aggregates. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), a biocompatible polymer, was utilized to control the aggregation process and improve the chemical stability of the aggregates. Extinction spectroscopy and TEM results show the aggregation degree and core-shell structure of the probe. It is found that when we employ 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4MBA), crystal violet (CV), Rhodamine 6G (R6G) or 4,4'-bipyridine molecules as Raman reporters, the SERS signal from the proposed probe can remain at a high level under aggressive chemical environments, even after being incorporated into living cells. In comparison with the traditional probes without the PVP shell, the new ones exhibit strong surface-enhanced effects and low toxicity towards living cells. We demonstrate that the PVP-coated silver aggregates are highly SERS effective, for which the fabrication protocol is advantageous in its simplicity and reproducibility.

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