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Updated: Apr 6, 2026
A Label-free Technique for the Spatio-temporal Imaging of Single Cell Secretions
Published on: November 23, 2015
Effects of three-layered nanodisk size on cell detection sensitivity of plasmon resonance biosensors
Xinghai Zhao1, Matthew Man-Kin Wong2, Sung-Kay Chiu2
1Department of Electronic Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong; Center for Biosystems, Neuroscience and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong; Institute of Electronic Engineering, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, China.
Abstract:
The double resonance plasmonic biosensors based on Au nanodisks (NDs) with a thin SiO2 spacer between the top and bottom Au layers were employed to detect MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The hybridized modes between the localized surface plasmon resonance of Au NDs and the gap coupling resonance of NDs with the Au film underneath have been observed. These multiple metallic layer NDs exhibit higher sensitivity than the common single metallic layer NDs. The extinction spectra showed double resonance bands that could be tailored by varying the ND size. Three sizes of multiple layer NDs ranging from 60 to 200 nm diameter (dia.) were generated and their refractive sensitivity to the surrounding media were analyzed for cell detection. Nanodisks with 120 dia. showed the highest refractive sensitivity up to 230 nm/refractive index unit. These sensors could be used to detect a broad range of MCF-7 cells from a low cell concentration down of 1.0×10(3)cells/ml up to a high cell concentration of 1.7×10(7) cells/ml.
