Patterned Plasmonic Nanoparticle Arrays for Microfluidic and Multiplexed Biological Assays.

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Portable, rapid-readout devices are crucial for medical diagnostics, drug screening, and threat detection.
• Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) offers promise for sensitive detection, but portable, multiplexed, and microfluidic devices with nanoparticle arrays are underdeveloped.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a versatile fabrication technique for uniform nanoparticle arrays.
• To demonstrate the utility of these arrays in microfluidic and multiplexed devices for bioassays.

Main Methods:

• Combined photolithography with Hole Mask Colloidal lithography to pattern nanoparticle arrays.
• Fabricated 5- and 7-channel microfluidic devices for kinetic binding studies.
• Developed a 96-spot plate compatible with standard plate readers for multiplexed detection.

Main Results:

• Successfully patterned uniform nanoparticle arrays for microfluidic and multiplexed applications.
• Acquired one-shot binding curves and protein binding kinetic data using microfluidic devices.
• Demonstrated multiplexed protein binding detection using the 96-spot plate.

Conclusions:

• The developed fabrication technique is versatile for creating nanoparticle arrays for advanced bioassay chips.
• This approach facilitates the development of next-generation devices for medical diagnostics and genetic screening.
• The method supports the creation of portable, sensitive, and multiplexed biosensing platforms.