Review on the Key Points of the Rapid Detection Methods Based on Gold Nanomaterial Optical Sensors

Based on the excellent optical properties, good stability and easy surface functionalization of gold nano-materials, the nano-gold optical sensing detection method is established, which has the advantages of high sensitivity, rapid detection, easy operation, visualization, and low cost. This type of sensor makes use of the interaction between functionalized gold nanoparticles and the target to show different colors, fluorescence quenching and scattering intensity changes due to the change of size, shape and aggregation state of gold nanoparticles, which provides an excellent detection platform for the rapid detection of the target. In this review, four common nano-gold optical sensing detection methods have been summarized to better introduce the important role of gold nanomaterials in the modern detection field, including nano-gold aggregation optical sensing method, nano-gold etching optical sensing method, nano-gold fluorescence optical sensing method, and nano-gold scattering optical sensing method. Through introducing the detection principles of these different strategies, the development and applications of nano-gold optical sensors in chemical, biological and environmental fields are discussed. Subsequently, through analyzing these four methods' experimental design ideas, seven points for the development of nano-gold optical sensing method are preliminarily summarized, namely: gold nanoparticles synthesis and surface functionalization, solution pH, reaction temperature and reaction time, selectivity, system detection limit, method accuracy, and system reusability. Through analyzing the importance of these experimental points, it will provide scientific researchers with reference of experimental design ideas and experience. Finally, this review discusses several challenges of current nano-gold optical sensing detection methods and forecasts its' future development direction. For example, the technologies of smart phones and immunochromatographic strips can be combined with such methods to realize the simplification and portability in the process of detection. In general, it will have a good development prospect for the optical sensing detection method based on gold nanomaterials. © 2021, Materials Review Magazine. All right reserved.