Applications of impedometry using micro - and nano - electrodes

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Universal NanoSensor Technologies (UNS-Tech) develops and commercializes nanochip and microfluidic impedance detectors. UNS-Tech's microfluidic conductivity detector for ion chromatography rivals the most sensitive currently available on the market but at a significantly lower price point. The nanochip is sensitive to material deposited on its surface at the sub monolayer level. It is manufactured using silicon fabrication methods and is also cost-effective. In this CRD project, UNS-Tech will partner with Prof. Cynthia Goh to extend and demonstrate the capacities of these technologies. The microfluidic detector's performance will be modeled using an equivalent resistor - capacitor model, which will then be exploited to extend its performance to include dielectric constant (DC) detection. DC is a universal property of matter, in turn making this detector a universal detector like a refractive index detector used in chromatography, but at a much lower price point and potentially with higher sensitivity. Also, in this project both the microfluidic and the nanochip detectors will be modified to enable them to function as sensors; i.e. they will be surface functionalized with molecular "recognition elements" that selectively bind to specific "targets", and the binding will be monitored using impedance spectroscopy. Applications of the new capabilities of both the microfluidic and nanochip technologies will be demonstrated, e.g. DC will be used to detect carbohydrates and polyethylene glycol and the sensors to detect crown ether/lead and biotin/avidin binding. The results will be analyzed and the findings will be published in scientific journals. Working with a company partner will provide students with invaluable real world experience developing products and enhance their training as highly qualified personnel as they prepare to enter the Canadian work force. UNS-Tech - an Ontario-based company - will also benefit. Achieving successful demonstrations in a university setting and publishing the results would be critical benchmarks for UNS-Tech before moving onto product development, beta tests and new product lines. This will require employing more Ontarians and will, in turn, benefit both Ontario and Canada.