Researchers at Technical University of Berlin and Kiel University have studied dopamine (DA) electro polymerization and synthesis with nanomaterials like gold nanoparticles (AuNP) and graphene quantum dots (GQD) to develop cardiac troponin I (cTnI) sensors. These structures were gold coated with Vac Coat DSCR?SEM coater?for further analysis through Scanning Electron Microscopy.
The cardiac troponin I (cTnI) can be used as a circulating biomarker that is associated with coronary artery diseases (CAD) and an interpreter of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim of this research is to develop ultrasensitive, highly selective, cost-effective cTnI sensors with evaluating their sensitivity, selectivity, and specificity profiles. Henceforth, three distinct electrochemical sensors were synthesized based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) named (DA-AuNP-MIP, DA-GQD-MIP, and DA-AuNP-GQD-MIP) for detecting cTnI.
Molecularly imprinted polymers, serving as plastic antibodies, show remarkable affinity, specificity, and selectivity for the target molecules. The sensitivity of MIPs can be improved by integration of smart nanomaterials, such as gold nanoparticles (AuNP), graphene quantum dots (GQD) or a combination of both, into MIPs through electrochemical processes.
The surface morphology of the samples was studied using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). To make the samples conductive for high-quality SEM imaging, they were coated with a thin film?of gold by sputtering deposition with Vac Coat Desk Sputter and carbon Coater DSCR (I = 10 mA, time = 30 seconds) in an argon?plasma?environment. The SEM images are shown in Figure 1.
Vac Coat offers SEM coaters supplied with?Quartz crystal thickness sensors?for precise control over deposited film thickness.? Low vacuum sputter coater DSR1 is an ideal sputtering coater for swift noble metal thin films deposition. Low vacuum carbon coater, DCR, and combined low vacuum sputter and carbon coater DSCR provides conductive coatings for SEM sample preparation. High vacuum sputter coater DST1, carbon coater, DCT, and combined sputter and carbon coater, DSCT, are perfect SEM coaters for deposition of oxidizing metal films, like tungsten, with a small grain size for high-resolution electron microscopy imaging. DTE and DTT thermal evaporators are also suitable candidates for surface metallization of insulating SEM specimen.
