Enhanced SPR response from patterned immobilization of surface bioreceptors on nano-gratings

In this report, nano-gratings with guided adsorption of biomolecules are investigated as new transducer elements or biointerfaces for surface plasmon resonance biosensor technologies. SPR biosensors are of particular interest due to the interaction between the electromagnetic fields and periodic nano-structures. In this article, sensitivity enhancement is demonstrated for a surface plasmon resonance interface, in a Kretschmann's configuration, featuring nano-gratings combined with nano-patterned immobilization of surface bioreceptors. The fabrication of this enhanced biointerface is demonstrated using a combination of metal lift-off and self-assembled monolayers. Rigorous coupled-wave analyses point to an increase in SPR angular response for the immobilization of surface bioreceptors onto areas of the nano-corrugated surface exhibiting high electromagnetic field intensity. Experimental measurements of the immobilization of anti-TNF-alpha antibody as a model bioreceptor using an imaging-SPR technique show a 3 times increase in angular resonance response from nano-grating surfaces with functionalized mesas compared to a planar surface or to a uniformly functionalized nano-grating surface. Furthermore, results also show an increased detection of TNF-alpha due to the increased accessibility to the adsorbed bioreceptors on the nano-gratings.