Detection of Virus SARS-CoV-2 Using a Surface Plasmon Resonance Device Based on BiFeO₃-Graphene Layers

Area of Science:

• * Nanotechnology and Materials Science
• * Biosensing and Medical Diagnostics
• * Optics and Photonics

Background:

• * The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, necessitates sensitive and rapid detection methods.
• * Existing diagnostic tools require improvement in sensitivity and speed.
• * Biosensors offer a promising avenue for advanced viral detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To propose and investigate a novel Surface Plasmon Resonance Enhanced (SPRE) biosensor for SARS-CoV-2 detection.
• * To enhance the sensitivity of SPRE sensors through material engineering.
• * To evaluate the performance of the proposed biosensor for viral detection.

Main Methods:

• * Design of an SPRE device with a BK7 prism, Silver (Ag) thin film, Bismuth Ferrite (BiFeO3) layer, and graphene.
• * Integration of BiFeO3 between Ag and graphene to leverage its dielectric properties.
• * Optimization of layer thicknesses and graphene sheet count for maximum sensitivity.

Main Results:

• * The proposed SPRE biosensor demonstrated exceptionally high sensitivity (293 deg/RIU).
• * The BiFeO3 layer significantly enhanced the sensor's response to refractive index changes.
• * Optimized device parameters led to a substantial improvement in detection capabilities.

Conclusions:

• * The developed SPRE biosensor shows great promise for sensitive and rapid SARS-CoV-2 detection.
• * The integration of BiFeO3 offers a pathway to significantly boost biosensor performance.
• * This technology has potential applications across various biosensing fields.