Current Trends in Technology and Materials of Sensors Based on Surface Plasmon Resonance

Abstract

Considered in this review are main directions of developing technology and construction of the available sensors based on surface plasmon resonance phenomenon to increase their sensitivity and accuracy of measurements. It has been shown that reducing roughness of the plasmon carrying layer in the sensor as well as application of an additional covering dielectric layer with developed surface enables two-fold increase in the sensitivity due to the twice increased surface of interaction between the sensor and studied substance. The main technical way enabling to diminish surface roughness is thermal annealing, and the best result is usually reached for the annealing temperature 120 °С. In most cases, as a dielectric layer they use metal oxides Al2 O3 , TiO2 , SiOx and ZnO, which allows attaining the detection limit in changes of the studied substance refraction index close to 1 • 10–9, what is one order better than that in available commercial analytic devices based on SPR phenomenon. Shown in the review are promising directions for development of SPR sensorics such as application of multilayer graphene coatings and polymer layers prepared by polymerization in high-frequency plasma of inert gas. Also, adduced in the paper are statistical data that show the number of publications in scientific journals within this topic. This number underwent an exponential growth and to the end of 2015 was about six thousands, which is indicative of these investigations topicality and stimulates further studying the possibilities to improve and develop new analytical devices based on the SPR principle. In our opinion, further development of these sensors will be directed to increasing the selectivity, wear resistance of the sensitive element surface as well as to developing the methods for regeneration of receptors suitable for multiple using the sensitive elements.