BRInGing nano-pHoTonics into the brain

Part of EU Open Research Repository
Published April 17, 2020 | Version v1
Journal article Open

Label-free biomechanical nanosensor based on LSPR for biological applications

Creators

  • 1. Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Arnesano (Lecce), Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche e Ambientali, Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy
  • 2. Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Arnesano (Lecce), Italy
  • 3. Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
  • 4. Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche e Ambientali, Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy
  • 5. Center for Metamaterials and Integrated Plasmonics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
  • 6. Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Arnesano (Lecce), Italy; Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Innovazione, Università Del Salento, Lecce, Italy

Description

Abstract: A label-free localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)-based biosensor exploiting gold nanorods (GNRs) is proposed and demonstrated. For this aim, 35 ± 5 nm long and 20 ± 4 thick GNRs spaced by a few nanometers thick polyelectrolytes (PE) from a gold thin film was analyzed and synthesized. The morphology of the GNRs, the plasmon properties of GNRs, swelling of PE layers and the wettability of the surfaces were characterized by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, spectroscopic reflectivity and contact angle measurements, respectively. Indeed, when immersed in a phosphate buffer saline solution, the GNRs-PE-gold system shows an optical shift of the LSPR wavelength. This shift was found to correspond to a vertical swelling of about 2 nm, demonstrating the extreme sensitivity of the biosensor. Finally, we show that LSPR measurements can be used to detect dynamic resonance changes in response to both thickness and buffer solution, while the hydrophobic behavior of the surface can be exploited for reducing the number of liquid analytes in clinical biosensing application.

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Additional details

Funding

European Commission
MODEM – Multipoint Optical DEvices for Minimally invasive neural circuits interface 677683
European Commission
BrainBIT – All-optical brain-to-brain behaviour and information transfer 692943
European Commission
NanoBRIGHT – BRInGing nano-pHoTonics into the brain 828972