AFM Study of Surface Derivatization for Biosensors

Optical biosensors are typically transducers that detect the presence of molecules at a surface. They have several desirable features, particularly for the detection of biological molecules: (1) they can be extremely sensitive (nanomoles or less) and (2) they are nondestructive to the sample.

The optical properties or transduction process of fused silica quartz beads are governed by the surface condition of the beads. The AFM is ideal for direct visualization of quartz surfaces that are chemically treated. This application note demonstrates the usefulness of an AFM for studying chemically treated quartz surfaces.