Light Energy Conversion Surface with Gold Dendritic Nanoforests/Si Chip for Plasmonic Polymerase Chain Reaction

Abstract

Surfaces with gold dendritic nanoforests (Au DNFs) on Si chips demonstrate broadband-light absorption. This study is the first to utilize localized surface plasmons of Au DNFs/Si chips for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) applications. A convenient halogen lamp was used as the heating source to illuminate the Au DNFs/Si chip for PCR. A detection target of Salmonella spp. DNA fragments was reproduced in this plasmonic PCR chip system. By semi-quantitation in gel electrophoresis analysis, the plasmonic PCR with 30 cycles and a largely reduced processing time provided results comparable with those of a commercial PCR thermal cycler with 40 cycles in more than 1 h. In the presence of an Au DNFs/Si chip, the plasmonic PCR provides superior results in a short processing time.

Au@Ag Dendritic Nanoforests for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensing

“…The two-dimensional structure is also not easy to capture target molecules in microfluidics. Metal or dielectric DNFs structure [ 10 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ] has complex three-dimensional cross-linking networks to fix many target molecules. Chan et al presented that the Ag dendrites formed and protected by a 2 nm SiO 2 film on a Si surface [ 17 ] demonstrated a high sensitivity of 10 −8 M R6G Raman response.…”

“…Therefore, developing nanometal structures of more particles, gaps, wires, rods, and networks can be promising approaches for improving SERS response [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Metal dendritic nanoforests (DNFs) have exhibited a superior plasmonic and SERS response in studies [ 10 , 16 ].…”

Silicon-Based Ag Dendritic Nanoforests for Light-Assisted Bacterial Inhibition

“…Therefore, incident light energy could be transferred to enhance the generation of dissolved Ag + and ROS, resulting in enhanced bacterial inhibition efficiency [ 7 , 8 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. On the other hand, additional illumination might also introduce the plasmonic heating effect in Ag-DNFs/Si and Si samples to increase the temperature of the surrounding liquid [ 28 ], as shown in Figure 6 . Localized heating in a tiny area might directly damage bacterial cells.…”

“…Localized heating in a tiny area might directly damage bacterial cells. External light energy could be converted into heat through a complex process, namely photon absorption, photon–phonon interaction, and the inelastic decay of light generating plasmons [ 28 , 38 ]. Ag caused a slightly inert response in terms of S. aureus inhibition, as reported by many studies, due to the thick outer peptidoglycan cell wall layer, which is difficult for Ag NPs to destroy or penetrate [ 10 , 29 , 30 , 39 , 40 ].…”

“…Light-to-heat energy conversion [ 28 ] and R6G SERS measurements were conducted to examine the plasmonic enhancing property of the synthesized Ag-DNFs. The light-to-heat energy conversion experiment utilized a 250-W halogen lamp to illuminate the samples in a 6-cm plastic Petri dish containing mineral oil.…”