Electrochemically deposited metal nanostructures for application in genosensors

Identifier:  TDX:361

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX361

Authors:  Soreta, Tesfaye Refera

Abstract:
Biosensor signals can be enhanced by specifically designing transducer surfaces. In this thesis, several surface nanostructuring approaches have been investigated. The first approach studied was based on the initial formation of self-assembled monolayers (SAM) of alkanethiols on bi-metallic substrates, followed by the selective reductive desorption (SRD) of the SAM from one of the metals. SRD of 2-mercaptoethanol from palladium domains of a palladium-gold surface was achieved. The second nanostructured surface preparation method investigated was the sequential electrochemical nucleation of metal nanoparticles (gold and palladium) on glassy carbon electrode and SAM formation on the NPs to prevent aggregation and by that increasing the number densities. With this method, a six-fold and a fifty fold enhancement in the ferrocenyl alkanethiol SAM redox signal was achieved in comparison to plain gold and palladium electrodes, respectively. Finally, electrode surface nanostructuring using sequentially nucleated gold nanoparticles for signal enhancement of DNA biosensor was demonstrated.