SGER: Piezoelectric Cantilevers for Nanoscale Biosensing

Princeton University, Princeton NJ

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract CTS-0003882 Ilhan Aksay, Princeton University This proposal aims at clearing the fundamental processes which will permit the design and construction of a new class of microsensors. These will combine piezoelectric microcantilevers, nanostructured coatings (e.g. nanoporous silica), and biological detectors. Their sensitivity should outperform existing piezoactive sensors by a factor of about 100. The PI's have then engaged into an extremely detailed discussion of the key basic questions they felt should be explored before designers could depend on reliable, generic information: 1) the production of arrays of reduced-size microcantilever by sol/gel chemistry and soft lithography, as a way to collect from a given sample, many more simultaneous and real time bio-properties (e.g. in blood). The enhancing effect of silica porosity is expected to be a major one (up to 500 m2/gram). One application of special interest would be, among others, the technology of biosensor microarrays for in vivo situations. 2) the bulk of the remainder of the proposal concerns the state of the art and proposed research departures of the key components of these diagnostics techniques: sensor performance (piezoelectric microcantilevers and nanostructures coatings), ceramics vs. quarts, micromanufacturing, modeling and size effects, biomolecules behavior in nanoporous media.