Designable Poly(methacrylic Acid)/Silver Cluster Ring Arrays as Reflectance Spectroscopy-Based Biosensors for...

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Biosensing
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Accurate and sensitive detection of Yersinia pestis is crucial for plague diagnosis and control.
• Existing diagnostic methods may lack the sensitivity or speed required for rapid identification.
• Development of novel nanomaterials for biosensing applications is an active area of research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize novel AgC-PMAA hybrid ring (SPHR) arrays for biosensing.
• To develop a sensitive detection method for Yersinia pestis antigen (agY) using antibody-modified SPHR arrays.
• To establish a new diagnostic pathway for plague detection with high sensitivity and a low detection limit.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of hole arrays using photolithography and oxygen plasma treatment.
• Deposition and hydrolysis of silane to create initiator rings.
• Grafting of Poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) and subsequent silver cluster (AgC) attachment to form SPHR arrays.
• Modification of SPHR arrays with Yersinia pestis antibody (abY) for antigen detection.
• Analysis of AgC attachment and antigen binding using reflectance spectra.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated SPHR arrays with ring structures less than 100 nm.
• Demonstrated antigen-antibody binding, causing a geometrical change from a ring to a two-humped structure.
• Established a linear detection range for agY from 30 to 270 pg mL⁻¹, with a detection limit of approximately 12.3 pg mL⁻¹.
• Achieved excellent performance in preclinical trials.

Conclusions:

• The proposed method offers an efficient pathway for fabricating nanoscale ring arrays.
• The abY-anchored SPHR array serves as a sensitive platform for detecting Yersinia pestis antigen.
• This approach demonstrates significant potential for developing advanced plague diagnostic tools.