Aggregation of Silver Nanoparticle-Dextran Adducts with Concanavalin A and Competitive Complexation with Glucose.

Tiopronin-protected silver nanoparticles (average diameter = 5 nm) were partially displaced by (2-mercapto-propionylamino) acetic acid 2,5-dioxo-pyrrolidin-1-ylesters via ligand exchange, and the succinimide-terminated silver particles were bound to amine-labeled Dextran 3000 (1 amine/per chain) or Dextran 10 000 (2.5 amine/per chain), respectively. The particle-Dextran 10 000 adducts were self-aggregated by interactions of multiple amines on Dextran and multi-functionalized ligands on the particle. The transverse plasmon band was blue shifted while the longitudinal plasmon at 575 nm increased, corresponding to the compact aggregation of particles. The particle-Dextran 3000 adducts, which were not aggregated, were coupled to Concanavalin A (Con A) to facilitate the aggregation of particles. The aggregated particles displayed an absorbance spectral change depending on the mole ratio of Con A/particle-Dextran 3000. The particle-Dextran 3000 adduct was released by a competitive complexation of glucose. This process was monitored by both the change in plasmon absorbance and wavelength, with the glucose concentration. The aggregation and dissociation of Con A/particle-Dextran complexes were also verified by TEM images.