Novel silicon dioxide sol-gel films for potential sensor applications: a surface plasmon resonance study

Stable silicon dioxide (silica, SiO₂) films on noble metals were synthesized using a novel sol-gel technique. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy was used to compare the stability of silica films generated by this sol-gel technique with those deposited by using thermal evaporation, in the presence of PBS buffer. These films were later chemically functionalized with various reactive groups as a test for their versatility and usefulness in sensoric applications. A surface grating enclosed in a high-pressure and elevated temperature cell was used in the investigation of polymer brushes while SPR coupled with fluorescence detection schemes was used in the Kretschmann prism configuration to monitor DNA hybridization interactions.