Microcantilevers are devices capable of transducing chemical interactions into a quantifiable nanomechanical motion via surface stress changes. Despite the potential to detect biomolecules at the part-per-trillion (10-12 M) level, microcantilever sensors suffer from an irreproducible analytical response because the origin of the cantilever deflection is poorly understood. In order to gain a better fundamental understanding of the molecular interactions that induce the deflection motion, we have investigated the origin of the surface stress changes that arise during the electrochemical oxidation of gold-coated microcantilevers functionalized with model self-assembled monolayers of ferrocenylalkanethiolates.[1,2] Our most recent work has focused on the effects of the monolayer film composition and the underlying gold substrate morphology. This poster shows how the gold surface roughness and the ferrocenylalkanethiolate surface coverage influence the electrochemistry and actuation of the functionalized microcantilever. References  [1] Norman, L., Badia, A., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2009 , 131, 2328 [2] Norman, L., Badia, A, J. Phys. Chem. C., 2011 , 115, 1985

Monolayer film composition and substrate morphology effects on the redox actuation of microcantilevers functionalized with ferrocenylalkanethiolates

244th National Meeting (2012)

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