The application of polystyrene waveguides to protein adsorption investigations

The possibility of detecting peroxidase adsorption on the surface of a planar polystyrene waveguide has been studied using light of the wavelength adsorbed by the protein molecules. When a single-mode optical waveguide was employed, maximal protein sensitivity was obtained when the thickness of waveguide layer was about 1.5-times greater than the cutoff thickness. Adsorption kinetics of peroxidase on the surface of polystyrene was studied with single-mode waveguides. A minimum surface concentration of 0.1 mg/m2 was observed experimentally.