Chiral Plasmonic Nanostructures: Advances in Synthesis and Bio-Detection Applications.

Abstract

Chirality is a defining feature of life, embedded not only in the structures of amino acids, saccharides, proteins, and nucleic acids but also in their stereoselective interactions, such as protein-ligand binding, enzyme catalysis, and nucleic acid recognition. Abnormal changes in chiral structures are increasingly recognized as early indicators of cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and metabolic disease, yet their intrinsically weak optical signals and low abundance hinder reliable detection. Plasmonic nanostructures, owing to their large polarizability and intense near fields, can markedly amplify these weak chiral signals and shift them from the ultraviolet into visible and near-infrared regions with reduced biological interference and more accessible instrumentation. This Mini-Review highlights recent progress in the design and fabrication of chiral plasmonic nanostructures and surveys representative applications of sensitive detection of diverse biomolecules. Finally, we conclude with current limitations and future opportunities for translating chiral plasmonic nanostructures into sensitive, low-cost clinical diagnostic tools.