SERS Activity of Silver Nanoparticles Functionalized with A Desferrioxamine B Derived Ligand for FE(III) Binding and Sensing

We report the SERS activity of colloidal silver nanoparticles functionalized with a ligand, derived from the siderophore desferrioxamine B (desferal, DFO), an iron chelator widely used in biological and medical applications. The ligand was equipped with a sulfur-containing moiety to ensure optimal binding with silver surfaces. By means of Raman and SERS effects we monitored the route of material preparation from the modified DFO-S molecule to the colloidal aggregates. The results indicate that the functionalization of the chelating agent does not affect its binding ability towards Fe(III). The resulting functionalized silver nanoparticles are a promising SERS tag for operation in biological environments. The Fe-O stretching signature, arising when DFO-S grafted to silver nanoparticles binds Fe(III), could provide a tool for cation sensing in solution.