A Versatile Sensing Toolkit for Highly Sensitive Detection through the Electrical Conductivity of Gold Nanoparticles

Developing a versatile sensing toolkit with high sensitivity may revolutionize current techniques for analytical applications. This work reports a sensing strategy through the electrical conductivity of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). By modulating the concentration, aggregation, and surface ligand of AuNPs, a versatile analytical platform for highly sensitive detection based on the electrical conductivity is outlined. The difference in concentration, aggregation, and surface ligand enables a response in the conductivity of AuNPs, offering a great platform for developing AuNPs-implemented assays using the conductivity as the signal readout. Compared with the plasmonic signal readout of AuNPs, this conductivity-based sensing method has advantages in high sensitivity, low cost, and simple operation, showing great potential as a powerful technique for versatile applications.