Patent ID: 8394648
Filing Date: 2013-03-12
Classification: B22F,B82Y,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for the fabrication of a biosensor array for plasmon resonance-based sensing of a plurality of different biological targets simultaneously, the method comprising: (i) providing a transparent substrate; (ii) providing seed metallic nanoparticles in the form of a colloid; (iii) depositing said colloid as discrete metallic islands on the transparent substrate, each of said metallic islands comprising a plurality of metallic nanoparticles; (iv) washing the substrate in order to remove unadhered material; (v) developing the substrate in a growth solution, which solution comprises a salt of the same metal which is present in the form of discrete metallic islands on the substrate, a reducing agent, a capping agent and optionally a surfactant; (vi) washing the developed substrate; and (vii) functionalising each of said metallic islands with a different functionalising molecule using a common chemical process to attach said different functionalising molecules to said metallic islands, wherein said metallic islands of said array are spaced apart, arranged at intervals of at least 0.1 mm, and wherein within a said metallic island said plurality of metallic nanoparticles comprise a discontinuous layer of individual, multi-faceted nanoparticles.