Investigation of the Impact of Thionine Functionalization on Magnetoelastic Sensor Performance

This study investigates the functionalization of gold-coated magnetoelastic sensors with thionine molecules, focusing on resonance frequency shifts. The functionalization process was characterized by using Raman spectroscopy and analyzed via scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, revealing the progressive formation of molecular clusters over time. Our results demonstrate that longer functionalization time leads to saturation of surface coverage and cluster formation, impacting the sensor's resonance frequency shifts. Such modifications offer insights into the adsorption process of these molecules on the sensor's gold surface, as well as its performance.