Scaffolding for Nanotechnology: Extraordinary IR Transmission of Metal Microarrays for Sensors, Control of Light, and Surface Spectroscopy

俄亥俄州立大学的詹姆斯·科教授得到了分析和表面化学计划的支持，以对金属微阵列中看到的非凡传输效应有一个基本的了解。这种效应最先由Ebessen的团队在可见光波长范围内看到，通过采用适当尺寸的阵列，也可以在红外(如PI所示)中看到这种效应。此外，叠层阵列正在作为一种将红外光谱与电化学/电容测量相结合的方法进行研究，这是传感器的一个重要应用。COE小组也在利用金属微阵列记录表面高灵敏度红外吸收光谱的能力。各种体系正在研究中，包括烷基硫醇单分子层、磷脂双层层、DNA和膜结合蛋白。感兴趣的问题是单层和双层中的相变以及膜结合蛋白的取向。红外特殊透射率的观测是新奇的，对于传感器等应用来说，红外光谱区由于红外分子的独特指纹而比可见紫外区更具前景。因此，从长远来看，这些设备可以作为组合或阵列技术中的传感器，用于快速、灵敏和特定于分子的纳米技术结构、DNA和膜结合物种的检测。从事这项工作的学生将接触到物理化学、生物分析以及表面物理的组合。

Professor James Coe of Ohio State University is supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program to develop a fundamental understanding of the extraordinary transmission effect seen in metal microarrays. First seen by Ebessen's group in the visible wavelength range, the effect can also be seen in the infrared (as shown by the PI) by employing arrays with appropriate dimensions. In addition, stacked arrays are being studied as a way of coupling infrared spectroscopy with electrochemical/capacitance measurements, an important application for sensors. The ability of the metal micro-arrays to record high sensitivity infrared absorbance spectra of surfaces is also being exploited by the Coe group. A variety of systems are under study, including alkane thiol monolayers, phospholipid bilayers, DNA and membrane bound proteins. The questions of interest are phase transitions in the monolayers and bilayers and the orientation of membrane-bound proteins. The observation of extraordinary transmission in the infrared is novel, and for applications such as sensors, the infrared spectral region is much more promising than the visible-ultraviolet region because of the unique fingerprint of molecules in the infrared. Thus, in the long run, these devices might serve as the sensor in combinatorial or arrayed techniques for the rapid, sensitive and molecule-specific detection of nanotech constructions, DNA and membrane-bound species. Students working in this are are exposed to combinations of physical chemistry, bioanalysis as well as surface physics.