Selective sensing of vapors of similar dielectric constants using peptide-capped gold nanoparticles on individual multivariable transducers.

Peptide-capped AYSSGAPPMPPF gold nanoparticles were demonstrated for highly selective chemical vapor sensing using individual multivariable inductor-capacitor-resistor (LCR) resonators. Their multivariable response was achieved by measuring their resonance impedance spectra followed by multivariate spectral analysis. Detection of model toxic vapors and chemical agent simulants, such as acetonitrile, dichloromethane and methyl salicylate, was performed. Dichloromethane (dielectric constant εr = 9.1) and methyl salicylate (εr = 9.0) were discriminated using a single sensor. These sensing materials coupled to multivariable transducers can provide numerous opportunities for tailoring the vapor response selectivity based on the diversity of the amino acid composition of the peptides, and by the modulation of the nature of peptide-nanoparticle interactions through designed combinations of hydrophobic and hydrophilic amino acids.