Nanogap-based electrochemical microsensors for fast and sensitive detection of biological markers

Abstract

Biological markers are molecules whose levels are associated with several diseases related to the aging of the world population, degenerative diseases and cancer. The identification and quantification of these markers become especially relevant in methodologies that can provide spatial and temporal resolution of the molecules concentrations in biological fluids. The project focuses at the development of ultra microsensors of double carbon fiber modified with a critical dimension nanometric scale between the two electrodes (nanogap), electrodeposited with nanoparticles of platinum/gold for rapid determination and sensitive biological markers. The ultramicroelectrodes of double carbon fiber (uµFC) will be manufactured by extrusion of borosilicate glass capillaries containing the carbon microfibers in parallel, with the nanometric spacing between them, resulting in the nanogap. The electrodeposition of metallic nanoparticles will be made under these same conditions, promoting the formation of these structures in carbon fiber electrodes. The uµFC modified will be characterized by cyclic voltammetry, nanogap ultra-fast voltammetry, scanning electrochemical microscopy and images of scanning electron microscopy, and compared to non-modified uµFC. Once established the best conditions for improved sensitivity of the microsensor, analytical parameters will be optimized in order to propose a novel methodology for the determination of the biomarkers in biological fluids. (AU)