Biosensors: CdSe Quantum Dots Enhance Electrical and Electrochemical Signals of Nanogap Devices for Bioanalysis (Small 21/2012)

Electrical and electrochemical signals are enhanced by CdSe quantum dots in a nanogap device for biotin–streptavidin sensing events, as demonstrated by X.-J. Huang and co-workers on page 3274. By employing CdSe quantum dots, the ejection of the conduction-band electrons to the streptavidin, with a concomitant transfer of electrons from the chain of biotin–streptavidin to the gold nanoparticle electrode, yields an enhanced current signal. This work could provide a massive multiplexing, high-throughput, and high-sensitivity technique for biosensing through the use of large microelectrode arrays.