Reagent for rapidly attaining thermal equilibrium in a biological and/or chemical reaction

Abstract

The present invention provides a reagent for rapidly attaining thermal equilibrium in a biological and/or chemical reaction, which comprises Au nanoparticles; wherein the Au nanoparticles have a Au metal core covalently bonding to a weak acid functional group, and the Au nanoparticles are aqueous. A method for rapidly attaining thermal equilibrium in a biological and/or chemical reaction and a method for producing the reagent are also provided.

1 . A reagent for rapidly attaining thermal equilibrium in a biological and/or chemical reaction, which comprises Au nanoparticles; 
 wherein the Au nanoparticles have a Au metal core covalently bonding to a weak acid functional group, and the Au nanoparticles are aqueous.    
     
     
         2 . The reagent according to  claim 1 , wherein the reaction is a thermal sensitive reaction.  
     
     
         3 . The reagent according to  claim 1 , wherein the reaction is polymerase chain reaction.  
     
     
         4 . The reagent according to  claim 3 , wherein the reaction is real-time polymerase chain reaction.  
     
     
         5 . The reagent according to  claim 1 , wherein the weak acid functional group is a citric acid group or a tannic acid group.  
     
     
         6 . The reagent according to  claim 1 , wherein the weak acid functional group is a citric acid group.  
     
     
         7 . The reagent according to  claim 1 , wherein the Au nanoparticles have an average particle size in a range of 1 nm to 100 nm.  
     
     
         8 . The reagent according to  claim 1 , wherein the Au nanoparticles have an average particle size in a range of 1 nm to 40 nm.  
     
     
         9 . The reagent according to  claim 1 , wherein the Au nanoparticles are in a colloid solution.  
     
     
         10 . The reagent according to  claim 9 , wherein the colloid solution is neutral in pH.  
     
     
         11 . The reagent according to  claim 1 , wherein the Au nanoparticles have a 
 concentration in a range of 10 −5  mM to 10 −8  mM in the reaction solution.    
     
     
         12 . The reagent according to  claim 11 , wherein the Au nanoparticles have a concentration in a range of 10 −6  mM to 10 −7  mM in the reaction solution.  
     
     
         13 . A method for rapidly attaining thermal equilibrium in a biological and/or chemical reaction, which is characterized in adding the reagent according to  claim 1 .  
     
     
         14 . A method for producing the reagent according to  claim 1 , wherein the Au nanoparticles are produced by a method comprising steps of: 
 (a) nucleating gold salt with the weak acid functional group; and    (b) removing the unreacted weak acid functional group in the step (a) and obtaining the Au nanoparticles.    
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the gold salt is HAuCl 4 .  
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the weak acid functional group is a citric acid group or a tannic acid group.  
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the weak acid functional group is a citric acid group.  
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein citric acid group is Na 3 C 6 H 5 O 7 .2H 2 O.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the method for removing in the step (b) is centrifuge at a high speed.  
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19  further comprising a vacuum suction step for concentrating the Au nanoparticles.