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Development of modular bioanalytical sensing platforms through the exploration of multifunctional luminescent materials, The
Sodia, Tyler Zachary
Sodia, Tyler Zachary
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Advisor
Cash, Kevin J.
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2024
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2026-04-09
Abstract
Bioanalytical sensing technology has been deeply integrated into modern society due to its ability to quantify important chemical dynamics. Sensor architecture can be divided into two key components: 1) the recognition unit, which (hopefully) can selectively identify the target, and 2) the transduction unit, which relays the selective recognition event to a detector. This thesis describes the development of three optical sensor platforms that, in each chapter, connect seemingly disparate technologies into modular bioanalytical frameworks. First, I describe a one-step metal quantification assay for Fe2+, Cu+, and Al3+ that replaces the macroscopic organic phase in liquid-liquid extraction with polymeric nanoparticles that serve as the hydrophobic host for age-old metal ligands. The confined space of the nanoparticle enables a high degree of modularity that enables facile swapping of recognition units (for sensing different analytes) and transduction units (for fluorescence detection with higher sensitivity). Next, I describe the development of a persistent luminescence platform that enables autofluorescence-free “glow-in-the-dark” sensing in biological systems. To achieve this, a nanocomposite was synthesized by encapsulating the persistent luminescent nanoparticles, ZnGa2O4:Cr3+, in an amphiphilic di-block copolymer using flash nanoprecipitation. The composite particles act as a housing unit for various recognition units that modulate the ZnGa2O4:Cr3+ signal, resulting in persistent luminescence nanosensors for K+, Na+, Ca2+, pH, or O2. This platform promises high signal-to-noise ratios in complex optical environments. Finally, to expand “glow-in-the-dark” sensor tools, I engineered a paper-based bio/chemosensing platform by coupling various gold-standard, bioanalytical assays to the pyrene-doped benzophenone crystal. By doping pyrene into a benzophenone host, the probability of pyrene’s triplet-state emission is dramatically increased, resulting in an “afterglow” lasting for seconds. This material was used as a transduction unit for paper-based sensing of Na+, K+, glucose, lactate, and mouse IgG through three distinct mechanisms. Overall, each development highlights the importance of integrating materials from diverse disciplines into bioanalytical technologies capable of addressing complex, interdisciplinary problems.
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