Applications of impedometry using micro - and nano - electrodes

通用纳米传感器技术（UNS-Tech）开发和商业化纳米芯片和微流体阻抗探测器。UNS-Tech的离子色谱微流控电导率检测器可与目前市场上最敏感的检测器相媲美，但价格明显较低。纳米芯片对沉积在其表面的材料具有亚单层的敏感性。它是使用硅制造方法制造的，也是具有成本效益的。在这个CRD项目中，联合国科大将与Cynthia Goh教授合作，扩展和展示这些技术的能力。微流控检测器的性能将使用等效电阻-电容模型进行建模，然后利用该模型将其性能扩展到包括介电常数（DC）检测。DC是物质的一种普遍属性，反过来使这种检测器成为一种通用检测器，就像色谱中使用的折射率检测器一样，但价格要低得多，而且可能具有更高的灵敏度。此外，在这个项目中，微流体和纳米芯片探测器都将被修改，使它们能够发挥传感器的作用；也就是说，它们将被分子“识别元件”表面功能化，选择性地结合到特定的“目标”上，并且这种结合将使用阻抗谱来监测。将展示微流控和纳米芯片技术新功能的应用，例如，DC将用于检测碳水化合物和聚乙二醇，传感器用于检测冠醚/铅和生物素/亲和素结合。研究结果将被分析，研究结果将发表在科学期刊上。与公司合作伙伴一起工作将为学生提供宝贵的现实世界开发产品的经验，并加强他们作为高素质人才的培训，因为他们准备进入加拿大的劳动力市场。总部位于安大略省的UNS-Tech公司也将从中受益。在进入产品开发、beta测试和新产品线之前，在大学环境中成功演示并发布结果将是UNS-Tech的关键基准。这将需要雇用更多的安大略省人，而这反过来又将使安大略省和加拿大都受益。

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.