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

俄亥俄州州立大学的James Coe教授得到了分析和表面化学项目的支持，以发展对金属微阵列中所见的非凡透射效应的基本理解。首先由Ebessen的小组在可见光波长范围内看到，通过采用具有适当尺寸的阵列，该效果也可以在红外线中看到（如PI所示）。此外，堆叠阵列正在研究作为耦合红外光谱与电化学/电容测量的一种方式，这是传感器的一个重要应用。Coe小组也正在开发金属微阵列记录表面高灵敏度红外吸收光谱的能力。各种系统正在研究中，包括烷烃硫醇单层，磷脂双层，DNA和膜结合蛋白质。感兴趣的问题是在单层和双层的相变和膜结合蛋白质的方向。在红外线中观察异常透射是新颖的，并且对于诸如传感器的应用，红外光谱区域比可见光-紫外区域更有前途，因为红外线中分子的独特指纹。 因此，从长远来看，这些设备可能作为传感器的组合或阵列技术的快速，灵敏和分子特异性检测纳米技术的建设，DNA和膜结合的物种。 在这方面工作的学生接触到物理化学，生物分析以及表面物理学的组合。

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.