RUI: Xerogel-Based Amperometric Biosensors Incorporating Nanoparticle Networks - Adaptable Templates for Clinically Relevant Measurements

里士满大学的Michael C. Leopold教授在化学系大分子、超分子和纳米化学项目的资助下，正在研究用于开发含有纳米材料的临床相关传感器的材料和策略。作为传感器的组成部分，金属纳米颗粒（NPs）网络可以提高性能，包括增强灵敏度和响应时间。纳米材料使传感装置小型化，使先进的技术可以直接应用于针电极——一种适合植入或床边设备的传感器几何形状。更好地理解传感方案中的NP网络，可以制定针对分子的传感器设计策略，这些分子在急诊室和产科病房环境中作为诊断标记物，实时、连续监测将是最有益的。生物传感方案与NP网络检测乳酸和尿酸，化合物相关的诊断/监测严重的医疗条件，败血症和妊娠高血压，分别是一个焦点。该奖项还支持全浸入式本科生研究指导，并与数学科学创新中心建立持续的外展伙伴关系，向6-12年级的教师和学生介绍纳米技术。本研究旨在识别和理解包含金属纳米颗粒（NPs）的安培生物传感器方案中的关键结构-功能关系，从而更好地理解NP的机制作用。第一代基于干凝胶的安培葡萄糖生物传感器作为模型系统，其特征是复合干凝胶/酶膜嵌入了链烷乙酯保护的金NPs或单层保护簇（mpc）网络。从MPC表面化学到干凝胶的硅烷前体，研究人员系统地研究了膜的每个组成部分，以阐明NPs和干凝胶在传感机制中的结构作用。这些发现促使人们在“针”或导线电极几何形状上合理设计np辅助生物传感方案，这些方案具有潜在的体外或体内能力，对临床相关和化学多样性的物种也具有选择性。

Funded by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular, and Nanochemistry Program in the Division of Chemistry, Professor Michael C. Leopold at the University of Richmond, is investigating materials and strategies for the development of clinically relevant sensors that incorporate nanomaterials. As a component within sensors, networks of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) elicit improved performance, including enhanced sensitivity and response time. Nanomaterials enable miniaturization of sensing devices, allowing advances to be directly applied to needle electrodes - a sensor geometry amenable to implantable or bedside devices. Greater understanding of NP networks within sensing schemes, allow for the formulation of sensor design strategies targeting molecules that serve as diagnostic markers in emergency room and maternity ward settings, where real time, continuous monitoring would be most beneficial. Biosensing schemes with NP networks that detect lactic and uric acid, compounds linked to diagnosis/monitoring of serious medical conditions, sepsis and pregnancy-induced hypertension, respectively, are a focus. This award is also supporting full immersion undergraduate research mentoring and a continuing outreach partnership with the Math Science Innovation Center to introduce nanotechnology to teachers and students of grades 6-12. This research seeks to identify and understand critical structure-function relationships within amperometric biosensor schemes that incorporate metallic nanoparticles (NPs), establishing greater understanding of the NP's mechanistic role. First generation, xerogel-based amperometric glucose biosensors serve as model systems that feature composite xerogel/enzyme films embedded with a network of alkanethiolate-protected gold NPs or monolayer-protected clusters (MPCs). Each component of the film, from MPC surface chemistry to the xerogel's silane precursor, is systematically examined to elucidate both the NPs and xerogel structural role in the sensing mechanism. Those findings prompt rational design of NP-assisted biosensing schemes at "needle" or wire electrode geometries with potential in-vitro or in-vivo capability that are also selective for clinically relevant and chemically diverse species.