Semiconducting Chemical Microsensors Using Bioanalogous Principles.

Abstract

The objectives of our research on the d.c. conductivity of proteins was to investigate and demonstrate that appropriate electrical properties of macromolecular substrates of biological origin can be exploited for analytical purposes using macroscopic techniques. More concretely, we wanted to show that the specificity and selectivity of specific antibodies in molecular (target) recognition and binding, combined with monitoring binding-induced changes in their d.c. electric conductivity may represent such properties. If so, at least these bimolecular systems can be considered as potential sensory elements in designing chemically highly selective and very sensitive chemical microsensors. Such chemically sensitive gate elements of appropriate bimolecules in F(ield) E(ffect) T(ransistor) - type devices could then be ued for the real-time evaluation of vanishingly smal quantities of diverse molecular species present in the vapor (gas) or liquid form. Our investigations demonstrated that the utility of d.c. conductivity measurements on thin immunoprotein films as a probe of antigen/haplen binding by monoclonal move anti-DNP IqE antibody. Upon binding to the antibody, appropriate nitropenyl ligands (2,4-DNP-Lysine, TNP) bring about typical changes in the d.c. conductivity: it decreases by about a factor of two. Model compounds (BSA and its derivatived forms) were used to provide information about the possible mechanism of resistance lowering by DNP-based haptens.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 24, 1986
Accession Number
ADA167921

Entities

People

  • Bela Karvely
  • Gabor Kemeny

Organizations

  • Michigan State University

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acids
  • Albumins
  • Antibodies
  • Charge Carriers
  • Charge Transfer
  • Electric Charge
  • Electrical Properties
  • Electrodes
  • Electromagnetic Fields
  • Films
  • Humidity
  • Jet Propulsion
  • Measurement
  • Molecules
  • Picric Acid
  • Proteins
  • Thin Films

Readers

  • Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry
  • Nanocomposite Materials Science
  • Solar Photovoltaics and Thermoelectric Devices.