Patent ID: 8759008

Claim:
A method of detecting a target species comprising: providing a substrate having an oxide surface; reacting a suitable silane material with the oxide surface by vapor phase deposition to deposit a monolayer on said oxide surface, the monolayer including a first species of the formula X-Q-Z 1 where X includes a silicon atom from a trifunctional alkyl/alkenyl/alkynyl silane group for attachment to the oxide surface, Q represents a central portion of the trifunctional alkyl/alkenyl/alkynyl silane group and serves as a spacer group of an alkane, or a combination of an alkane and one or more of an alkene or an alkyne group having greater than about 3 carbons, the spacer group promoting self-assembly of a plurality of said species, and Z 1 is a functional moiety that provides a site for attachment of a recognition ligand (R) adapted for binding to a pre-selected target species, and, a second species of the formula X-Q-Z 2 where X includes a silicon atom from a trifunctional alkyl/alkenyl/alkynyl silane group for attachment to the oxide surface, Q represents a central portion of the trifunctional alkyl/alkenyl/alkynyl silane group and serves as a spacer group of an alkane, or a combination of an alkane and one or more of an alkene or an alkyne group having greater than about 3 carbons, the spacer group promoting self assembly of a plurality of said species, Z 2 is a functional moiety that provides a site for attachment of a terminal moiety (T) that provides resistance to non-specific binding upon the sensor element; conjugating the recognition ligand (R) to Z 1 ; contacting a sample including a potential target species with the monolayer; and detecting a signal arising in response to binding between said recognition ligand and any said pre-selected targeted species.