A new optical label-free biosensing platform based on a metal-insulator-metal structure

Identification of exfoliated monolayer hexagonal boron nitride films with a digital color camera under white light illumination

Optical microscopy with white light illumination has been employed when obtaining exfoliated monolayer hexagonal boron nitride (1L hBN) films from a large number of randomly placed films on a substrate. However, real-time observation of 1L hBN using a color camera under white light illumination remains challenging since hBN is transparent in the visible wavelength range. The poor optical constant of 1L hBN films in microphotographs is significantly improved using a Si substrate coated with a SiNxthin-film (SiNx/Si). When observing hBN thin films on SiNx/Si using a color digital camera in an optical microscope under white light illumination, the clarity of the captured color images depends on the thickness of the SiNxfilm (d). For real-time direct observation, thedwas optimized based on quantitative chromatic studies tailored to Bayer filters of a color image sensor. Through image simulation, it was determined that the color difference between 1L hBN and the bare substrate is maximized atd= 59 or 70 nm, which was experimentally verified. The SiNx/Si with optimizeddvalues visualized 1L hBN films without requiring significant contrast enhancement via image processing under white light illumination in real-time. Furthermore, the captured color photographs facilitate the reliable determination of the number of layers in few-layer hBN films using the contrast of the green channel of the images.

Multimodal Biosensing of Foodborne Pathogens

Microbial foodborne pathogens present significant challenges to public health and the food industry, requiring rapid and accurate detection methods to prevent infections and ensure food safety. Conventional single biosensing techniques often exhibit limitations in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and rapidity. In response, there has been a growing interest in multimodal biosensing approaches that combine multiple sensing techniques to enhance the efficacy, accuracy, and precision in detecting these pathogens. This review investigates the current state of multimodal biosensing technologies and their potential applications within the food industry. Various multimodal biosensing platforms, such as opto-electrochemical, optical nanomaterial, multiple nanomaterial-based systems, hybrid biosensing microfluidics, and microfabrication techniques are discussed. The review provides an in-depth analysis of the advantages, challenges, and future prospects of multimodal biosensing for foodborne pathogens, emphasizing its transformative potential for food safety and public health. This comprehensive analysis aims to contribute to the development of innovative strategies for combating foodborne infections and ensuring the reliability of the global food supply chain.

Visualization of a hexagonal born nitride monolayer on an ultra-thin gold film via reflected light microscopy

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is an important insulating layered material for two-dimensional heterostructure devices. Among many applications, few-layer h-BN films have been employed as superior tunneling barrier films. However, it is difficult to construct a heterostructure with ultra-thin h-BN owing to the poor visibility of flakes on substrates, especially on a metallic surface substrate. Since reflectance from a metallic surface is generally high, a h-BN film on a metallic surface does not largely influence reflection spectra. In the present study, a thin Au layer with a thickness of ∼10 nm deposited on a Si substrate with a thermally grown SiO₂was used for visualizing h-BN flakes. The thin Au layer possesses conductivity and transparency. Thus, the Au/SiO₂/Si structure serves as an electrode and contributes to the visualization of an ultra-thin film according to optical interference. As a demonstration, the wavelength-dependent contrast of exfoliated few-layer h-BN flakes on the substrate was investigated under a quasi-monochromatic light using an optical microscope. A monolayer h-BN film was recognized in the image taken by a standard digital camera using a narrow band-pass filter of 490 nm, providing maximum contrast. Since the contrast increases linearly with the number of layers, the appropriate number of layers is identified from the contrast. Furthermore, the insulating property of a h-BN flake is examined using a conductive atomic force microscope to confirm whether the thin Au layer serves as an electrode. The tunneling current through the h-BN flake is consistent with the number of layers estimated from the contrast.

Sensitive Near-Infrared Refractive Index Sensors Based on D-Shaped Photonic Crystal Fibers

We report a numerical study of D-shaped photonic crystal fiber based plasmonic refractive index sensor with high resolution and sensitivity in the near-infrared region. D-shaped photonic crystal fiber is formed by side polishing one part of photonic crystal fiber. It has a polishing surface where plasmonic gold layer is coated to modulate the resonant wavelength and enhance the refractive index sensitivity. Several D-shaped photonic crystal fiber plasmonic sensors with various distances from the photonic crystal fiber's core to the polishing surface and gold thicknesses are designed and their characteristics are analyzed by the finite element method. The simulation results indicate that distance from the photonic crystal fiber's core to the polishing surface causes modifications in the loss intensity, the resonant wavelength, and the refractive index sensitivity of D-shaped photonic crystal fiber plasmonic sensor. Mass production of refractive index sensors were achieved using a simple fabrication process, whereby the D-shaped photonic crystal fiber is grinded where distance from the photonic crystal fiber's core to the polishing surface is less than one layer thickness and then coated with the gold layer. For the refractive index sensing applications, the maxima theoretical resolution and sensitivity of D-shaped photonic crystal fiber plasmonic sensor reach 2.98 × 10 ⁶refractive index unit and 6,140 nm/refractive index unit in range of 1.30-1.37, respectively. We also report an initial fabrication of the D-shaped photonic crystal fiber following the standard stack-and- draw method to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed device by using our in-house equipments. The proposed D-shaped photonic crystal fiber plasmonic sensor design in this work would be useful for the development of cheap refractive index sensors with high sensitivity and resolution.

Anomalous Reflection of Gold: A Novel Platform for Biochips

The importance of protein detection system for protein functions analyses in recent post-genomic era is rising with the emergence of label-free protein detection methods. We are focusing on a simple and practical label-free optical-detection method called anomalous reflection (AR) of gold. When a molecular layer forms on the gold surface, significant reduction in reflectivity can be observed at wavelengths of 400-500 nm. This allows the detection of molecular interactions by monitoring changes in reflectivity. In this chapter, we describe the AR method with three different application platforms: (1) gold, (2) gold containing alloy/composite (AuAg2O), and (3) metal-insulator-metal (MIM) thin layers. The AuAg2O composite and MIM are implemented as important concepts for signal enhancement process for the AR technique. Moreover, the observed molecular adsorption and activity is aided by a three-dimensional surface geometry, performed using poly(amidoamine) or PAMAM dendrimer modification. The described system is suitable to be used as a platform for high-throughput detection system in a chip format.

Label and Label-Free Detection Techniques for Protein Microarrays

Protein microarray technology has gone through numerous innovative developments in recent decades. In this review, we focus on the development of protein detection methods embedded in the technology. Early microarrays utilized useful chromophores and versatile biochemical techniques dominated by high-throughput illumination. Recently, the realization of label-free techniques has been greatly advanced by the combination of knowledge in material sciences, computational design and nanofabrication. These rapidly advancing techniques aim to provide data without the intervention of label molecules. Here, we present a brief overview of this remarkable innovation from the perspectives of label and label-free techniques in transducing nano-biological events.

Bioconjugation strategies for microtoroidal optical resonators

The development of label-free biosensors with high sensitivity and specificity is of significant interest for medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring, where rapid and real-time detection of antigens, bacteria, viruses, etc., is necessary. Optical resonant devices, which have very high sensitivity resulting from their low optical loss, are uniquely suited to sensing applications. However, previous research efforts in this area have focused on the development of the sensor itself. While device sensitivity is an important feature of a sensor, specificity is an equally, if not more, important performance parameter. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a covalent surface functionalization process, which also maintains the device’s sensing capabilities or optical qualities. Here, we demonstrate a facile method to impart specificity to optical microcavities, without adversely impacting their optical performance. In this approach, we selectively functionalize the surface of the silica microtoroids with biotin, using amine-terminated silane coupling agents as linkers. The surface chemistry of these devices is demonstrated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and fluorescent and optical microscopy. The quality factors of the surface functionalized devices are also characterized to determine the impact of the chemistry methods on the device sensitivity. The resulting devices show uniform surface coverage, with no microstructural damage. This work represents one of the first examples of non-physisorption-based bioconjugation of microtoroidal optical resonators.