Session/Topics: Focused session on NanoBiosensors

Nanogap Capacitive Biosensor For Lable-Free Aptamer-Based

Protein Detection
Z. Ghobaei Namhil,1* N.T. Kemp,1
1
School of Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Hull, , Hull, UK

Abstract:
Recent advances in nanotechnology offer a new
platform for the label free detection of biomole-
cules at ultra low concentrations. Nano biosen-
sors are emerging as a powerful method of im-
proving device performance whilst minimizing
device size, cost and fabrication times. Nanogap
capacitive biosensors are an excellent approach
for detecting biomolecular interactions due to the
ease of measurement, low cost equipment needed
and compatibility with multiplex formats.1 Initial
work in the field was limited to high frequency
measurement only, since at low frequency there
is large electronic thermal noise (<V2>=4kBTR)
from the electrical double layer (EDL). This was
a significant drawback since this masked most of
the important information from biomolecular in-
teractions. A novel approach to remove this par-
asitic noise is to minimize the EDL impedance by
reducing the capacitor electrode separation to
less than the EDL thickness.2 In the case of ap-
tamer functionalized electrodes, this is particu-
larly advantageous since device sensitivity is in-
creased as the dielectric volume is better matched
to the size of the biomolecules and their binding
to the electrode surface.
In this work we have fabricated a large area ver-
tically oriented capacitive nanogap biosensor
with a 40 nm electrode separation between two Figure 1: Schematic of the nanogap capacitor
gold electrodes. A silicon dioxide support layer (A) and image of the final device (B).
separates the two electrodes and this is partially
etched, leaving an area of the gold electrodes References:
available for thiol-aptamer functionaliztion. We 1. Mannoor, M. S.; James, T.; Ivanov, D. V.;
present results on the electrical characterization Beadling, L.; Braunlin, W. Nanogap
of the device as well as its capability for detecting Dielectric Spectroscopy for Aptamer-Based
label-free proteins. ProteinDetection. Biophys. J. 2010, 98, 724–
Keywords: Nanogap capacitive biosensor, label- 732.
free detection, Aptamer functionalized surfaces, 2. Yi, M.; Jeong, K. H.; Lee, L. P. Theoretical
protein detection. and Experimental Study towards a Nanogap
Dielectric Biosensor. Biosens. Bioelectron.
2005, 20, 1320–1326