Selective, Ultra-Sensitive, and Rapid Detection of Serotonin by Optimized ZnO Nanorod FET Biosensor

Fluctuation in serotonin (5-HT) level is an essential manifestation of several neurological disorders. In view of such importance, it is necessary to monitor the levels of 5-HT with good sensitivity, selectivity, affordability and low response time. Zinc oxide (ZnO) based field effect transistors (FET) with attributes like minimized noise levels and large on-off ratio are regarded as emerging high performance biosensor platforms. However, their response is significantly non-linear and there has been no appreciable endeavor for improving the non-linearity.

In this paper, we have introduced embedded gate electrode encompassing the channel of the FET which improves the uniformity in electric field line distribution through the electrolyte and proportionately enhances the capture of target biomolecule at ultra-low concentrations, thereby increasing the linearity. Further, we have incorporated the optimized parameters of ZnO nanorods reported previously, for rapid and selective detection of 5-HT.

It has been observed that the fabricated ZnO FET biosensor lowers the detection limit down to 0.1fM which is at least one order of magnitude lower than the existing reports. The sensor also has wide linear range from 0.1fM to 1nM with a detection time of about 20 minutes.

The proposed zinc oxide nanorod-based sensor can be used as an excellent tool for future diagnosis of neurological disorders.