Sonochemical fabrication of microelectrode arrays for biosensors

Abstract

This Project is aimed at developing sensors and biosensors to detect micro-organisms such as Escherichia coli using electrochemical techniques. Arrays of sensing units will be fabricated using different techniques and materials, with planar macroelectrodes and microelectrodes being obtained with the sonochemical method developed in Cranfield University. Novel film architectures will be produced with various materials, including polyelectrolytes, conducting polymers, phthalocyanines and graphene, which will be combined with enzymes and other biomolecules in order to seek synergy in the interactions among the components and the analytes. The films will be obtained with either the Layer-by-Layer (LbL) technique or using electrochemical polymerization, whose conditions and fabrication parameters may be modified to yield optimized sensors. The methods of interrogation and detection will involve electrochemical techniques, e.g. Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM), AC impedance, Cyclic Voltammetry and Amperometry. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) will also be used to analyze the electrode surface and film growth, respectively. The sensors and biosensors fabricated will be applied to detect micro-organisms and analytes used in the first year of the Postdoctoral research in Brazil. (AU)