This project aims to develop a solution-based plasmonic enhanced biosensor.
Associate Professor Stefano Palomba.
Masters/PHD
In this project, we want to engineer and study a plasmonic dimer, constituted by a gold nanorod coated with a thin glass film, an upconverting nanoparticle, a DNA link bonded to a gold nanosphere. In this way, the upconverting nanoparticle (UPN) is sandwiched in the middle between a nanorod and a nanoparticle. In these conditions the nanoparticle should be quenched by the gold nanosphere. Only when this system interacts with a specific molecule of interest, then one of the DNA links is broken and the upconverting nanoparticle will fluoresce. The gold nanorod serves as an enhancer of the fluorescence signal. This can be used as background free biosensing method. We have already prepared the UPNs and tested their emission. We are currently attaching them to Au nanorods to probe the enhanced luminescence. This project could also have applications in organic solar cell enhancement as well as a potential new method for LED TVs.
HDR Inherent Requirements
In addition to the academic requirements set out in the Science Postgraduate Handbook, you may be required to satisfy a number of inherent requirements to complete this degree. Example of inherent requirement may include:
The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 2698