Surface modification of nanocrystalline zinc oxide for bio-sensing applications

Zinc Oxide (ZnO) is a wide bandgap semiconductor that has been the subject of considerable research due to its potential applications in the areas of photonics, electronics and sensors. Nano-ZnO offers several advantages over existing biosensing platforms, most notably a large surface area for greater bio-functionalization and an inherent photoluminescence (PL) signal consisting of two emission peaks. One peak is in the UV, due to near band edge emission and the other is in the visible (green) region, due to oxygen vacancies caused by crystalline defects. Real-time detection of surface binding events may be possible if changes to the PL spectrum of a ZnO-based bio-sensor can be induced. Here we describe the surface modification of nanocrystalline zinc oxide (nano-ZnO) to introduce chemically reactive functionality for subsequent bio-functionalization. We have demonstrated through TEM-EDS that nano-ZnO powders have been surface modified with a heterobifunctional organosilane crosslinking agent that contains an amine-reactive aldehyde group. Furthermore, we have attached a fluorophore to the reactive aldehyde verifying the modified nano-ZnO surface is available for subsequent biomolecular covalent attachment. The introduction of a chemically reactive modifier to the surface of the nano-ZnO presents a template for the design of new, optically responsive bio-sensing platforms.

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