Engineering defects in SAMs of alkylthiols for improved biosensing strategies

生物传感器是一种在特定环境中识别目标生物分子的设备。它们已在医学界用于疾病的早期发现和治疗，但也是检测生物战剂的理想方法。因此，传感器的属性通常包括最小尺寸、高特异度、多功能和无假阳性。随着传感器需求的不断变化，制造和表征传感器材料的新方法也在不断涌现。通常，生物识别事件是基于与底物的分子结合，并且存在表面修饰策略来使材料与特定的受体基团功能化。为了增强可能的多功能，需要各种受体基团，并通过表面图案化方法使其成为可能。我们的研究集中在使用电化学技术来独特地设计和表征表面涂覆有机受体材料的图案化几何结构。我们将结合我们的经验与整体表面的表面图案，以类似的方式装饰金纳米颗粒。将该设备与表面等离子体共振光谱(SPR)的光谱方法相结合，将增强我们的检测方案，使其超越典型的SPR研究。

Biosensors are a class of device engineered to recognize a target biomolecule in a given environment. They have been used in the medical community for the early detection and treatment of disease but are also desirable as methods of detecting biological warfare agents. As such, the attributes of a sensor often include minaturized size, high specificity, multi-functionality and the absence of false positives. With the ever changing requirements of the sensor, new methods for the creation and characterization of the sensor material are ongoing. Typically the bio-recognition event is based on molecular binding with a substrate and surface modification strategies exist to functionalize the material with specific receptor groups. To enhance possible multi-functionality, a variety of receptor groups is desirable and is made possible through surface patterning methods. Our research focuses on the use of electrochemical techniques to uniquely design and characterize a surface coated with organic-receptor materials in a patterned geometry. We will combine our experience with surface patterning of bulk surfaces to decorate gold nanoparticles in a similar manner. Coupling the device to a spectroscopic method of Surface Plasmon Resonance Spectroscopy (SPR) will enhance our detection schemes beyond typical SPR investigations.