Applications of impedometry using micro - and nano - electrodes

通用纳米传感器技术公司(UNS-Tech)开发和商业化纳米芯片和微流控阻抗检测器。Uns-Tech用于离子色谱的微流控电导检测器可与目前市场上最灵敏的检测器竞争，但价格要低得多。纳米芯片对沉积在其表面的亚单分子层的材料很敏感。它使用硅制造方法制造，而且具有成本效益。**在这个CRD项目中，UNS-Tech将与Cynthia Goh教授合作，扩展和展示这些技术的能力。微流控探测器的性能将使用等效电阻-电容模型来建模，然后将利用该模型来扩展其性能，以包括介电常数(DC)检测。DC是物质的普遍属性，反过来又使这种探测器成为一种通用探测器，就像层析中使用的折射率探测器一样，但价格要低得多，而且有可能具有更高的灵敏度。此外，在该项目中，微流控和纳米芯片探测器都将进行改造，以使其能够用作传感器；即，它们将通过选择性地与特定“靶标”结合的分子“识别元件”进行表面功能化，并将使用阻抗谱来监测结合。**将展示微流控和纳米芯片技术的新能力的应用，例如，DC将用于检测碳水化合物和聚乙二醇，传感器将用于检测冠醚/铅和生物素/亲和素的结合。将对结果进行分析，并将研究结果发表在科学期刊上。与公司合作伙伴合作将为学生提供宝贵的现实世界产品开发经验，并在他们准备进入加拿大劳动力大军之际加强他们作为高素质人员的培训。总部位于安大略省的Uns-Tech公司也将受益。在大学中实现成功的演示并发布结果将是UNS-Tech在进入产品开发、Beta测试和新产品线之前的关键基准。这将需要雇佣更多的安大略省人，反过来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.******