Block-co-polymer nanostructures for DNA biosensing

Description: Directores de Tesis: Henry, Olivier; O?Sullivan, Ciara K.
The development of labeless and/or reagent-less detection approaches remains a very active research topic in the field of optical and electrochemical biosensors. The perspective of rapid analysis requiring very few sample handling and processing steps coupled to rapid detection would allow cheaper diagnostics and faster sample-to-results turnaround. The use of nanostructured films in biosensing is a versatile tool to develop and satisfy the size requirement for many lab-on-a-chip technologies. To achieve this goal, block copolymer films containing cylindrical gaps were prepared on gold substrates by removing the poly(methyl methacrylate)(PMMA) domains from poly(styrene-b-methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) spin coated films via UV degradation and chemical etching with acetic acid, using different approaches to orient nanodomains (thermal and solvent annealing and electric fields). Spin coating conditions were optimised to prepare films 10-20 nm thick, as measured by X-ray reflectometry. The morphology of the films was characterised by non-contact mode atomic force microscopy (AFM), and electrochemical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were further used to assess the electrochemical behaviour of the resulting nanostructured electrodes towards the realisation of labeless DNA sensors.

Topic: NANOESTRUCTURAS
NANOTECNOLOG?A
ADN
ELECTROCHEMICAL IMPEDANCE SPECTROSCOPY