Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia , Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
Department of Chemistry, University of Saskatchewan , Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A2, Canada.
ACS Sens. 2018 Jan 26;3(1):5-12. doi: 10.1021/acssensors.7b00840. Epub 2018 Jan 12.
Design and development of surface-based biosensors is challenging given the multidisciplinary nature of this enterprise, which is certainly the case for electrochemical biosensors. Self-assembly approaches are used to modify the surface with capture probes along with electrochemical methods for detection. Complex surface structures are created to improve the probe-target interaction. These multicomponent surface structures are usually idealized in schematic representations. Many rely on the analytical performance of the sensor surface as an indication of the quality of the surface modification strategy. While directly linked to the eventual device, arguments for pursuing a more extensive characterization of the molecular environments at the surface are presented as a path to understanding how to make electrochemical sensors that are more robust, reliable with improved sensitivity. This is a complex task that is most often accomplished using methods that only report the average characteristics of the surface. Less often applied are methods that are sensitive to the probe (or adsorbate) present in nonideal configurations (e.g., aggregates, clusters, nonspecifically adsorbed). Though these structures may compose a small fraction of the overall modified surface, they have an uncertain impact on sensor performance and reliability. Addressing this issue requires application of imaging methods over a variety of length scales (e.g., optical microscopy and/or scanning probe microscopy) that provide valuable insight into the diversity of surface structures and molecular environments present at the sensing interface. Furthermore, using in situ analytical methods, while complex, can be more relevant to the sensing environment. Reliable measurements of the nature and extent of these features are required to assess the impact of these nonideal configurations on the sensing process. The development and use of methods that can characterize complex surface based biosensors is arguably required, highlighting the need for a multidisciplinary approach toward the preparation and analysis of the biosensor surface. In many ways, representing the surface without reliance on overly simplified cartoons will highlight these important considerations for improving sensor characteristics.
基于表面的生物传感器的设计和开发具有挑战性，因为这是一个多学科的企业，这在电化学生物传感器中肯定是如此。自组装方法用于通过电化学方法修饰表面并带有捕获探针。创建复杂的表面结构以改善探针-靶相互作用。这些多组分表面结构通常在示意性表示中理想化。许多人依赖传感器表面的分析性能作为表面修饰策略质量的指示。虽然与最终设备直接相关，但提出了追求更广泛的表面分子环境特性表征的论点，作为理解如何制造更稳健、更可靠、灵敏度更高的电化学传感器的一种途径。这是一项复杂的任务，通常使用仅报告表面平均特性的方法来完成。较少应用的方法是对非理想配置（例如聚集、团簇、非特异性吸附）中存在的探针（或吸附物）敏感的方法。尽管这些结构可能构成整个改性表面的一小部分，但它们对传感器性能和可靠性有不确定的影响。解决这个问题需要应用各种长度尺度的成像方法（例如，光学显微镜和/或扫描探针显微镜），这些方法提供了对传感界面存在的表面结构和分子环境多样性的有价值的见解。此外，尽管原位分析方法很复杂，但可能更与传感环境相关。需要可靠地测量这些特征的性质和程度，以评估这些非理想配置对传感过程的影响。开发和使用能够表征复杂基于表面的生物传感器的方法是有争议的，这突出了需要采用多学科方法来制备和分析生物传感器表面。在许多方面，不依赖于过于简化的卡通画来表示表面将突出这些重要的考虑因素，以改善传感器特性。
