EFRI 2-DARE: Functionalized Monolayer Heterostructures for Biosensors with Optical Readout

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EFMA - 1542879PI: Johnson, Alan T.This project will develop new chemical sensors composed of biological molecules coupled to two-dimensional atomic crystals. The biological molecules will act as sensors by binding chemical targets in liquid and air samples. The atomic crystal layers will act as readouts by changing their optical or electronic properties when chemical targets are bound by the coupled biological molecules. The team will explore several biological molecules capable of binding specific targets coupled to various atomic crystals composed of compounds called transition metal dichalcogenides. The project will involve fabrication of the crystal layers, measurements of their electronic and optical properties, attachment of the biological molecules, and analysis of the resulting sensor capabilities. Experiments will be conducted in tandem with computational modeling to understand the response of the atomic crystals and predict sensor performance. Results of the project will lead to improved chemical sensors with unprecedented sensitivity and specificity for a variety of applications, including diagnosis of disease, environmental monitoring and law enforcement. The team will use the project to increase awareness of local communities about research at the frontier of nano-biotechnology and to involve student researchers, especially members of groups traditionally underrepresented in science and engineering. The goal of the project is to develop the basic scientific and engineering knowledge needed to advance nano-biosensor research towards implementation of transition metal dichalcogenides-based biosensors with optical and/or electronic readout. The team will develop scalable chemical vapor deposition approaches to large-area synthesis of MoS2, WS2, SnS2, and other materials identified through materials exploration. The material properties of these systems will be rigorously benchmarked using a combination of advanced structural, chemical, optical, electronic, and scanned probe measurements. A comprehensive set of chemical functionalization techniques will be developed suitable for fabrication of protein-functionalized biosensors with plasmonic, nanophotonic, and/or electronic readout. The impact of chemical functionalization on the electrical and optical properties will be systematically investigated. The measurements will be correlated with multi-scale computational models appropriate for simulating the response of the biosensors, with the goal of developing simulation methodologies suitable for predicting biosensor performance and guiding sensor design.