Recent advances in nanotechnology have unlocked paths to explore the development of conventional detection methodologies. The discovery of biocompatible nanomaterial which can be detected in real-time applications would be highly significant. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), which are single molecular optical sensing particles satisfies the above mentioned requirements due to their amazing optical properties. Unlike the fluorescent molecules, AgNPs do not undergo photo-decomposition, photo-bleaching, phototoxicity and auto-fluorescence. Also, the presence of plasmons enhances their Rayleigh scattering thereby making it easy to track them via a standard dark-field optical microscope with a halogen light illuminator. This poses a tremendous advantage over other fluorescent nanoparticles that requiring additional excitation sources at a particular wavelength. The surface property of the AgNPs is the base for Surface Enhanced Raman/Fluorescent Spectroscopy (SERS/SEFS) techniques. Additionally, they consist of a bioactive high surface area and some antimicrobial properties which are vital in medical applications. Hence, by controlling their size, shape and surface properties AgNPs can be diligently used for many biomedical applications.Our current work focuses on single particle tracking and size based electrophoretic separation of Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) through nanofluidic channels fabricated in plastic substrates using Nano-imprint Lithography (NIL). Electrophoretic mobility, size dependency and the effect of different surface coating of the AgNPs and the dynamics inside the nanoslits are valuable properties that can be harnessed when using them as biomarkers in various biomedical nanosensor applications. In addition, tracking of individual particles in an optical aspect in nanoscale, will reveal interesting information lacking in population analysis using conventional capillary electrophoresis.

Tracking size-dependent silver nanoparticles in nanoslits

245th National Meeting (2013)

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