Resorcinarene Cavitand Surfactant Interdigitated Gold Nanoparticles for Colorimetric Detection of Polyphosphates

The detection of pyrophosphate (PPi) is crucial as it plays a fundamental role in various biological processes, and iabnormal amounts of PPi have been implicated in diseases such as arthritis, cartilage breakage, pseudogout and vascular calcification. Conventional PPi detection methods in the past have incorporated inefficient strategies with technical limitations, lengthy processing time, and a high cost. Metal nanoparticles, specifically gold, have been effectively employed in the colorimetric sensing of chemical and biological targets due to their flexibility, optical properties, absorption coefficients, and sensitivity. Our group has demonstrated the selective colorimetric detection of polyphosphates such as PPi, ADP and ATP using citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles in the presence of a resorcinarene cavitand functionalized with a tetratrimethylammonium tetrabromide headgroup. We have recently confirmed the interdigitation of these surfactants on gold nanoparticle surfaces. This poster describes the interdigitation of resorcinarene cavitand functionalized with a tetrapyridinium tetrabromide headgroup on citrate stabilized gold nanoparticle surfaces, and further their potential in sensing PPi and other biologically relevant ions