Molecular and supramolecular surface modification tools for highly sensitive amperometric and electrochemiluminescent biosensors.

Identifier:  TDX:1923

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX1923

Authors:  Torréns del Valle, Mabel

Abstract:
The overall objective of the Thesis is to develop novel genosensor platforms based on supramolecular and covalent interactions for point-of-care detection of genetic diseases and biological pathogens, using amperometric and electrochemiluminescence techniques. In first part of the Thesis it was developed a supramolecular genosensor platforms based on bifunctionalised carboxymethylcellulose polymer backbone bearing adamantane/ferrocene units and a DNA probe on a cyclodextrin surface linked to the gold surface. In the second part, a new approach based on Zn-mediated grafting of a bipodal diazonium salt was developed. This strategy successfully combines the principal advantage of potentiostat-free spontaneous grafting with the rapidness of electrografting. In this method, by exploiting zinc as a reducing agent for the formation of aryl radicals, the grafting in few minutes of a very thin organic layer with no instrumentation required was accomplished. Finally, it was successfully tested for DNA detection using amperometry and electrochemiluminiscence.