Chiral Nanostructure Plasmonic Device for Label-Free Protein Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plasmonic devices for biological analysis are costly to produce and lack post-fabrication tuning capabilities, making them non-viable for commercial use and unable to efficiently characterize higher-order protein structures without requiring large quantities of biological material or labeling.
Innovation Solution
A plasmonic device with a base substrate and electrically conductive film featuring chiral nanostructures formed in relief, manufactured using injection molding, allowing for low-cost production and fine-tuning of optical properties, enabling characterization of biological materials with small quantities without labeling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional lithography methods are used to manufacture plasmonic devices, then manufacturing precision can be achieved, but production costs are high and throughput is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by creating a master mold with precise chiral nanostructures using lithography first, then using this master mold to manufacture multiple replicas through injection molding. This allows the high-precision step to be performed only once, while subsequent production uses the pre-created master, achieving both high precision and high throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating a master mold that contains the precise chiral nanostructure pattern, then using this master to produce multiple identical replicas through injection molding. This copying approach enables mass production of plasmonic devices with consistent nanostructure precision at low cost and high throughput.
2Measurement precision
If chiral nanostructures are formed at significant height from the substrate, then superchiral electromagnetic fields are enhanced for better sensitivity, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming the chiral nanostructures with controlled height and geometry in the master mold using lithography and lift-off techniques. This master mold then replicates these precise structures through injection molding, enabling complex three-dimensional chiral structures to be manufactured with controlled height without requiring complex manufacturing processes for each device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying to transfer the precisely engineered chiral nanostructure geometry from the master mold to multiple replicas. This allows the complex three-dimensional structures with specific heights (e.g., 50-200 nm) to be replicated accurately, achieving enhanced superchiral fields while simplifying the manufacturing of each individual device through mold replication.
3Adaptability or versatility
If existing plasmonic devices are used for biological analysis, then optical properties can be utilized, but post-fabrication tuning capabilities are lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by enabling control of key geometric parameters (nanostructure height, pitch, arm thickness, chirality) during the injection molding fabrication process. By adjusting mold design and processing conditions, the optical properties of the plasmonic devices can be tuned to match specific resonant wavelengths and field configurations, providing adaptability without requiring complex post-fabrication adjustments.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces production costs, allows for high-throughput manufacturing, and enables sensitive characterization of biological materials, including higher-order protein structures, using superchiral electromagnetic fields, thereby overcoming the limitations of existing technologies.
Implementation Method 1
chiral nanostructures—that is, structures on the sub-micrometer scale, and having a chiral shape—can lead to an effect known as superchirality in electromagnetic fields. A superchiral electric field expresses chirality on a shorter length scale than circularly polarized light
Implementation Method 2
Electromagnetic radiation interacting with the surface of an electrically conductive material can cause free electrons in the conductive material to oscillate as plasmons. These plasmons give rise to evanescent fields which can in turn interact with the electromagnetic radiation causing them
Implementation Method 3
These plasmons give rise to evanescent fields which can in turn interact with the electromagnetic radiation causing them
Implementation Method 4
when electromagnetic radiation is incident upon an electrically conductive surface, the reflected radiation can be altered by the presence of plasmons. Changes in the dielectric properties of an electrically conductive material can therefore cause changes in the properties of the reflected electromagnetic radiation
Implementation Method 5
This superchirality can be detected in the far-field optical properties of the reflected light, using optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) spectra. An ORD spectra is a plot of optical rotation of the polarization an electromagnetic field, as a function of wavelength
Implementation Method 6
manufactured using injection molding
Data Source
AI summary
A plasmonic device is disclosed, the plasmonic device having a base substrate and an electrically conductive film formed on the base substrate. The base substrate has a reference upper surface and an arrangement of chiral nanostructures formed in relief from the reference upper surface. Each chiral nanostructure has a nanostructure upper surface which is disposed at a distance of at least 30 nm from the reference upper surface in a thickness direction. The electrically conductive film is formed on the nanostructure upper surface of each chiral nanostructure and on at least part of the reference upper surface of the base substrate. Also disclosed is a method of analysis of a biological material using the plasmonic device, by depositing the biological material onto the plasmonic device and irradiating the plasmonic device and the biological material with electromagnetic radiation. The arrangement of chiral nanostructures and electrically conductive film generates a superchiral electromagnetic field, the effect of the presence of the biological material on the superchiral electromagnetic field then being detected.