Fiber optics based surface plasmon resonance for label-free optical sensing

With the advancement in the laser technology and availability of low cost optical fibers, there is an increasing trend towards adoption of optical fibers as sensing element for development of optical sensors probes especially point-of-care sensing for environmental, biomedical and clinical application. Refractive index measurement through surface plasmon resonance has evolved to be, one of the most sensitive transducer for label-free sensing with high sensitivity. Surface plasmon resonance is a surface sensitive optoelectronic phenomenon, where light incident on a plasmonic metal surface at a given angle can excite a surface-bound electromagnetic wave, a surface plasmon. Associated with the surface plasmon is an evanescent field that probes local changes in the refractive index of the ambient medium that are used for monitoring analyte- supramolecular/ bio-molecular ligand interactions. Present review outlines a concise view on theoretical aspects of fiber optics based surface plasmon resonance phenomenon and comprehensive updated review on research and development for progression in the design of fiber optics based SPR sensors

Sensores em POF baseados em intensidade para a avaliação da qualidade de águas

Nowadays there is the need for low-cost and user-friendly solutions for water quality assessment which can allow for remote, in-site and real-time monitoring of water contaminants. POF sensing technologies combined with specially developed sensitive layers for chemical detection may offer these possibilities, with proper interrogation systems. POF sensing platforms based on low-cost procedures were developed and characterized using aqueous solutions of different refractive indices (RI). The POF RI sensors were optimized by varying the length and/or roughness of the sensing region. The suitability of these sensing platforms for chemical detection was evaluated through the coating with sensitive layers, namely molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) using different deposition techniques. The dependency of proteins immobilization on the POF’s surface was evaluated aiming future developments in chemical detection using POF biosensors. A D-shaped POF chemical sensor was successfully developed using a sensitive MIP layer, allowing the detection of perfluorooctanoate (POFA/PFO-) in aqueous media with a limit of detection of 0.20 – 0.28 ppb. The collaboration of researchers from different areas was essential for the success of the developed work.Hoje em dia há uma necessidade de soluções simples e de baixo custo para a avaliação da qualidade de águas e que permitam a monitorização remota de contaminantes, no local e em tempo real. As tecnologias baseadas em POF podem oferecer essa possibilidade através de sistemas de interrogação óptica adequados, combinados com camadas sensíveis especialmente desenvolvidas para detecção química. As plataformas ópticas baseadas em POF foram desenvolvidas e caracterizadas com soluções aquosas com diferentes índices de refracção. Os sensores foram optimizados através da variação do comprimento e/ou rugosidade da região sensível. A capacidade de detecção química das plataformas ópticas desenvolvidas foi avaliada através do revestimento com camadas sensíveis, nomeadamente polímeros molecularmente impressos (PMI), utilizando diferentes técnicas de deposição. A dependência da imobilização de proteínas na superfície de POFs modificadas foi avaliada com o objectivo de desenvolver biossensores para detecção química. Um sensor POF para detecção química, em configuração D-shape, foi desenvolvido com sucesso através do revestimento com um PMI, permitindo a detecção de perfluorooctanoato (POFA/PFO-) em soluções aquosas com um limite de detecção entre 0.20 – 0.28 ppb. A colaboração com investigadores de diferentes áreas foi essencial para o sucesso do trabalho desenvolvido.Programa Doutoral em Engenharia Físic

Applications of Molecularly Imprinted Films

Molecularly imprinted polymers are materials that have voids that are complementary in shape, size, and electronic environment to a specific molecule used for preparation, known as the template. These voids are specific recognition sites that bind the templates preferentially and are used specifically for biomimetic sensors and for solid-phase extraction. Because the specific surface is very important during this process, the use of films and membranes is preferred. This book contains four articles dedicated to sensor application (three research articles and one review) and one research article dedicated to solid-phase extraction

Surface Plasmon Resonance for Biosensing

The rise of photonics technologies has driven an extremely fast evolution in biosensing applications. Such rapid progress has created a gap of understanding and insight capability in the general public about advanced sensing systems that have been made progressively available by these new technologies. Thus, there is currently a clear need for moving the meaning of some keywords, such as plasmonic, into the daily vocabulary of a general audience with a reasonable degree of education. The selection of the scientific works reported in this book is carefully balanced between reviews and research papers and has the purpose of presenting a set of applications and case studies sufficiently broad enough to enlighten the reader attention toward the great potential of plasmonic biosensing and the great impact that can be expected in the near future for supporting disease screening and stratification

Selected Papers from the 1st International Electronic Conference on Biosensors (IECB 2020)

The scope of this Special Issue is to collect some of the contributions to the First International Electronic Conference on Biosensors, which was held to bring together well-known experts currently working in biosensor technologies from around the globe, and to provide an online forum for presenting and discussing new results. The world of biosensors is definitively a versatile and universally applicable one, as demonstrated by the wide range of topics which were addressed at the Conference, such as: bioengineered and biomimetic receptors; microfluidics for biosensing; biosensors for emergency situations; nanotechnologies and nanomaterials for biosensors; intra- and extracellular biosensing; and advanced applications in clinical, environmental, food safety, and cultural heritage fields

A thermo-stabilized flow cell for surface plasmon resonance sensors in D-shaped plastic optical fibers

The first example of an optical sensor platform based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) in a plastic optical fiber (POF) integrated into a thermo-stabilized flow cell for biochemical sensing applications is proposed. In this work, an IgG/anti-IgG assay was implemented as model bioassay, with the IgG biolayer deposited on the sensor gold surface and the biological target, anti-IgG, transported through a new thermo-stabilized flow cell. The experimental results show that the proposed device can be successfully used for label-free biochemical sensing. This complete optical sensor system can be used for the future reduction of the device cost and dimension, with the possibility of integrating the POF-SPR sensing platform with microfluidic and optoelectronic devices

Estudo e Desenvolvimento de Sensor em Fibra ?ptica Polim?rica Baseada na Resson?ncia de Pl?smons de Superf?cie

O presente trabalho tem como intuito estudar e desenvolver um sensor em fibra ?ptica polim?rica multimodo, baseado no fen?meno de Resson?ncia de Pl?smons de Superf?cie (Surface Plasmon Resonance, SPR). Esse fen?meno vem ganhando cada vez mais destaque devido ? elevada sensibilidade a pequenas varia??es de ?ndice de refra??o do meio externo. O interesse na utiliza??o de fibra ?ptica polim?rica como substrato deve-se ? possibilidade da redu??o de tamanho e peso, f?cil manuseio no que diz respeito ? remo??o da casca, realizada por meio de um procedimento simples, em que a fibra ? imersa em uma solu??o qu?mica, sem envolver processos mais complexos que poderiam aumentar o custo do sensor, al?m do acesso remoto. A configura??o utilizada ? o modelo de Krestchmann, baseado na Reflex?o Total Atenuada, constitu?do por tr?s camadas: um substrato ?ptico, uma camada met?lica com elevada condutividade e um analito com ?ndice de refra??o a ser identificado. A resposta do sensor ?ptico SPR neste trabalho usar? os modos de interroga??o espectral e angular, com os pontos de opera??o do sensor (comprimento de onda e ?ngulo de resson?ncia, respectivamente) determinados computacionalmente. Para a fabrica??o do sensor, uma caracteriza??o num?rica ? realizada com o intuito de investigar a espessura do filme fino e o ponto de opera??o do sensor para a detec??o do analito de interesse. O modelo utilizado ? composto por tr?s camadas: pol?mero (camada 1), Ouro (camada 2) e ?gua destilada (camada 3). Na prepara??o da regi?o sensora, ser? mostrado que a casca da fibra ?ptica deve ser removida quimicamente, e depositada em seu lugar uma camada fina de metal (Ouro), utilizando uma m?quina de pulveriza??o cat?dica. A carateriza??o experimental no modo de interroga??o angular apresenta concord?ncia com os resultados te?ricos, assim como os resultados experimentais obtidos para o modo de interroga??o espectral. Com base nas investiga??es realizadas ao longo do trabalho, ? poss?vel prever um futuro promissor na utiliza??o das fibras ?pticas como substrato de sensores ?pticos SP

The 2nd International Electronic Conference on Applied Sciences

This book is focused on the works presented at the 2nd International Electronic Conference on Applied Sciences, organized by Applied Sciences from 15 to 31 October 2021 on the MDPI Sciforum platform. Two decades have passed since the start of the 21st century. The development of sciences and technologies is growing ever faster today than in the previous century. The field of science is expanding, and the structure of science is becoming ever richer. Because of this expansion and fine structure growth, researchers may lose themselves in the deep forest of the ever-increasing frontiers and sub-fields being created. This international conference on the Applied Sciences was started to help scientists conduct their own research into the growth of these frontiers by breaking down barriers and connecting the many sub-fields to cut through this vast forest. These functions will allow researchers to see these frontiers and their surrounding (or quite distant) fields and sub-fields, and give them the opportunity to incubate and develop their knowledge even further with the aid of this multi-dimensional network