NDnano Undergraduate Research Fellowship (NURF)

2013 Project Suar!

Instructions
1. Using this template, please fill in the five blanks below (name, etc.), and then write two paragraphs summarizing your
NUR research!
"n the first paragraph, describe the problem # problem area and your pro$ect goal.
"n the second paragraph, describe your activities and results. %lease include one or two research images,
with caption(s).
&t the end of the summary, be sure to include any papers # posters that were submitted, published or
presented as a result of your NUR research.
eel free to add pages.
2. Review the summary with your faculty mentor before submitting.
3. 'hen submitting your summary, please delete the ("nstructions) section. &lso, please send a separate high-uality
digital photo !."pg# of you in your $UR% research&lab environment for use on the N*nano website and in other
NUR promotional materials. "f your faculty mentor or a friend is not able to help with the photo, don+t hesitate to
contact ,eidi at -./01234 or deethardt./5nd.edu
'. %lease send this completed pro$ect summary to ,eidi *eethardt at deethardt./5nd.edu no later than the last day of
your pro"ect. (han) you*
000
1) Student name: "ruong Pha
2) Faculty mentor name: Dr# $sueh%&hia &hang
3) Project title: Photoacti'e (aterial )or *iological Sensing
4) Briefly describe any new skills you acquired durin your summer researc!:
" #$erate e"beam metal e%a$orator
" &se scannin electron microsco$e to c!aracteri'e nanostructure
" Fabricate P()S c!annel
" &se different electroc!emical tests suc! as cyclic %oltammetry and c!ronoam$erometry to
study $ro$erties of a semiconductor electrode
*) Please briefly s!are a $ractical a$$lication+end use of your researc!:
" Biosensin based on (,-.s absor$tion of &/ $!otons
" Potential biosensin based on (,- and ot!er biomolecules. adsor$tion on t!e surface of titania
Bein two"$arara$! $roject summary !ere:
0!e de%elo$ment of ine1$ensi%e2 sensiti%e and s$ecific met!ods of detectin (,- in
bioloical sam$les !as always been an acti%e researc! area in biomedical enineerin3 (,-2
es$ecially sinle"stranded (,- 4ss(,-)2 absorbs li!t stronly in t!e &/ reion due to t!e
nitroenous bases $resent on t!is molecule3 5!en two com$lementary ss(,- molecules
!ybridi'e2 !owe%er2 t!ese bases are buried inside t!e newly"formed double"stranded molecule2
and2 as a result2 decreases &/ li!t absor$tion acti%ity of t!e com$le13 0!is $ro$erty !as been
widely em$loyed in bioloy labs to study t!e dynamics of (,- denaturation 4or !ybridi'ation)3
0!e oal for t!is summer researc! $roject is to use titania " a $!otoconducti%e o1ide t!at also
absorbs &/ li!t " to de%elo$ a (,- sensin $latform3
Poly"crystalline titania was de$osited on and F0# electrode3 - 3"electrode system2 w!ic!
consists of a workin electrode 4titania)2 counter electrode 4Pt) and reference electrode 4-"
-6l)2 was used to study t!e $!otoc!emistry of titania under 2*4"nm &/ illumination 4see t!is
e1$eriment confiuration in fiure 1)3 7lectroc!emical measurements were carried out by a
8amry $otentiostat3 9n t!e first stae of t!is $roject2 t!e &/"absor$tion effect of (,- on t!e
system was studied3 - !y$ot!esis was made: because ss(,- molecules absorbs &/ li!t2 if t!ey
were $laced in t!e solution between titania and t!e li!t source2 t!ey would absorb &/ $!otons2
t!us decreasin t!e $!otocurrent in titania 4fiure 2)3 0!e e1$erimental results su$$orted t!is
!y$ot!esis: as t!e concentration of (,- increased2 t!e $!otocurrent decreased 4fiure 3)3 0!e
lowest concentration of (,- t!at caused a sinificant decrease in $!otocurrent was 1 u)3 9t was
e1$ected t!at t!e sensiti%ity would o u$ if t!e illumination area were made smaller3
9n t!e second $art of t!is researc!2 t!e effect of (,- adsor$tion on t!e surface of titania
was studied2 for it can $otentially affect t!e sensin mec!anism3 (,- was incubated in a P()S
rese%oir $laced abo%e titania o%erni!t3 0!e electroc!emical current was found to increase as a
result3 6!ronoam$erometry test result also seemed to su$$ort t!is be!a%ior3 ,e%et!erless2 more
tests need to be done to make sure t!is increase in current is solely due to (,-2 since t!e
$resence of ions enerated from $re%ious trials can also increase t!e o%erall current3 :on2
careful was!in of t!e reser%oir is t!e key to e1$erimental reliability3
Fiure 1: 0!e 3"electrode system
Fiure 2: &/"absor$tion effect of ss(,-
Fiure 3: P!otocurrent decreases wit! concentration of (,-
Publications 4$a$ers+$osters+$resentations): ,+-