Low-Copy Number Protein Detection by Electrode Nanogap-Enabled
Dielectrophoretic Trapping for Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
and Electronic
Measurements
posted on 2014-05-14, 00:00authored byLeonardo Lesser-Rojas, Petra Ebbinghaus, Ganesh Vasan, Ming-Lee Chu, Andreas Erbe, Chia-Fu Chou
We
report a versatile analysis platform, based on a set of nanogap
electrodes, for the manipulation and sensing of biomolecules, as demonstrated
here for low-copy number protein detection. An array of Ti nanogap
electrode with sub-10 nm gap size function as templates for alternating
current dielectrophoresis-based molecular trapping, hot spots for
surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy as well as electronic measurements,
and fluorescence imaging. During molecular trapping, recorded Raman
spectra, conductance measurements across the nanogaps, and fluorescence
imaging show unambiguously the presence and characteristics of the
trapped proteins. Our platform opens up a simple way for multifunctional
low-concentration heterogeneous sample analysis without the need for
target preconcentration.