Thermally-Driven Micro-Walled Nano-Composite Microfluidic Platform for Controlled Localized Surface Plasmonic Detection of Bovine Growth Hormones

Abstract

A novel method of integration of a silver-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanocomposite in a microfluidic channel for the realization of a lab-on-a-chip is reported in this work. By using a silver nitrate aqueous precursor solution, silver nanostructures are formed on, and under the surface of PDMS, by in situ reduction. The silver aggregates formed by reduction have a wide absorbance plasmon band in the UV–Visible range. Separated silver nano-islands, having narrow absorbance bands are formed by using the post-reduction annealing process. The plasmonic property of the silver nanostructures is used for the detection of bovine growth hormone. Subsequently, the nanocomposite was integrated into a specially fabricated micro-wall in the channel which is the actual sensing area in the microfluidic environment. The experiments confirmed that the nanocomposite can be integrated into the microfluidic device in order to enhance the detection sensitivity.