ME.1 - Quantitative nanomechanical IR spectroscopy for label-free molecular recognition
- Event
- 17th International Meeting on Chemical Sensors - IMCS 2018
2018-07-15 - 2018-07-19
Vienna, Austria - Chapter
- MEMS-based Sensing
- Author(s)
- S. Kim - University of Calgary, Alberta (Canada)
- Pages
- 414 - 414
- DOI
- 10.5162/IMCS2018/ME.1
- ISBN
- 978-3-9816876-9-9
- Price
- free
Abstract
Conventional infrared (IR) spectroscopy has been widely utilized in various applications since it can selectively detect target molecules using molecular vibrational characteristics. Although IR spectroscopy is an attractive technique for label-free recognition of target molecules, usually it is not very sensitive. Recently, we have developed quantitative nanomechanical IR spectroscopy using thermomechanically sensitive bi-material microcantilever in order to achieve high selectivity as well as sensitivity in label-free molecular recognition of target molecules [1]. Here, we present the various methods to enhance the performance of nanomechanical IR spectroscopy using a nanostructured microcantilever by controlling thermomechanical properties, surface to volume ratios, and even optical cavity structures [2- 5]. Nanostructured microcantilevers with plasmonic absorbers are fabricated by coating gold layers onto nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) cantilevers.
Adsorbed explosive molecules such as trinitrotoluene (TNT), cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (RDX), and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) onto the cantilever generate nanomechanical IR spectroscopic responses. These nanomechanical IR spectra enable us to perform quantitative IR spectroscopy with surface adsorbed target molecules.