Polyelectrolytes-coated gold nanoparticles detection by PEDOT:PSS electrochemical transistors

Electrochemical transistors made of PEDOT:PSS are used to detect different polymeric shells used to functionalize the nanoparticles for drug delivering. The devices were realized drawing their configuration directly on glass with a micro-syringe and micro-positioning system. This permits a great flexibility in the definition of the needed geometry giving the possibility to maximize the signal to the different polymeric shells. The realized devices exhibit different responses respect to the functionalized nanoparticles and in particular respect to the polymer used for their functionalization. The linear behavior observed gives the possibility to use these devices to detect the quantity of polymer loaded on the nanoparticles. This opens to the possibility to determine the quantity of drugs that could be loaded inside the functionalized shells and also to detect the kinetics of drug delivery or, even, to monitor the stability of the nanoparticles themselves.