<i>Detecting Bacteria with Plasmonic Microcapsules</i>

Assembling nanoparticles into dispersible colloidal pH-sensitive sensors remains a challenge. Here, we show how to combine optically active plasmonic gold nanoparticles and pH-responsive thin shells into “plasmocapsules”. Upon pH change, plasmocapsules swell or shrink. Concomitantly, the distance between the gold nanoparticles embedded in the polymeric matrix varies, resulting in an unambiguous color change. Billions of micron-size sensors can thus be easily fabricated. They are non-intrusive, reusable, and sense local pH changes. Each plasmocapsule is an independent reversible microsensor over a large pH range. Finally, we demonstrate their potential use for the detection of bacterial growth, thus proving that plasmocapsules are a new class of sensing materials