Open AccessProtein biosensing with fluorescent microcapillaries
Author(s) -
Stephen Lane,
Peter West,
Alexandre François,
A. Meldrum
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.23.002577
Subject(s) - biosensor , materials science , whispering gallery wave , refractive index , fluorescence , quantum dot , coating , capillary action , layer (electronics) , nanotechnology , silicon , optoelectronics , optics , physics , resonator , composite material
Capillaries with a high-index fluorescent coating represent a new type of whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) microcavity sensor. By coating silicon quantum dots (Si-QDs) onto the channel wall of a microcapillary, a cylindrical microcavity forms in which the optical confinement arises from the index contrast at the interface between the QD layer and the glass capillary wall. However, the ability to functionalize the QD layer for biosensing applications is an open question, since the layer consists of a mixture of Si-QDs embedded in a glassy SiOx matrix. Here, we employ a polyelectrolyte (PE) multilayer approach to functionalize the microcapillary inner surface and demonstrate the potential of this refractive index sensing platform for label-free biosensing applications, using biotin-neutravidin as a specific interaction model.