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A multi-spot (16 spots) light-addressable potentiometric sensor (MLAPS) consisting of an Al–p-Si–SiO2 structure modified with a weak polyelectrolyte layer of PAH (poly(allylamine hydrochloride)) was applied for the label-free electrical detection of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) immobilization and hybridization by the intrinsic molecular charge for the first time. To achieve a preferentially flat orientation of DNA strands and thus, to reduce the distance between the DNA charge and MLAPS surface, the negatively charged probe single-stranded DNAs (ssDNA) were electrostatically adsorbed onto the positively charged PAH layer using a simple layer-by-layer (LbL) technique. In this way, more DNA charge can be positioned within the Debye length, yielding a higher sensor signal. The surface potential changes in each spot induced due to the surface modification steps (PAH adsorption, probe ssDNA immobilization, hybridization with complementary target DNA (cDNA), non-specific adsorption of mismatched ssDNA) were determined from the shifts of photocurrent–voltage curves along the voltage axis. A high sensor signal of 83 mV was registered after immobilization of probe ssDNA onto the PAH layer. The hybridization signal increases from 5 mV to 32 mV with increasing the concentration of cDNA from 0.1 nM to 5 μM. In contrast, a small signal of 5 mV was recorded in the case of non-specific adsorption of fully mismatched ssDNA (5 μM). The obtained results demonstrate the potential of the MLAPS in combination with the simple and rapid LbL immobilization technique as a promising platform for the future development of multi-spot light-addressable label-free DNA chips with direct electrical readout.
The characterization of the degradation kinetics of biodegradable polymers is mandatory with regard to their proper application. In the present work, polymer-modified electrolyte–insulator–semiconductor (PMEIS) field-effect sensors have been applied for in-situ monitoring of the pH-dependent degradation kinetics of the commercially available biopolymer poly(d,l-lactic acid) (PDLLA) in buffer solutions from pH 3 to pH 13. PDLLA films of 500 nm thickness were deposited on the surface of an Al–p-Si–SiO2–Ta2O5 structure from a polymer solution by means of spin-coating method. The PMEIS sensor is, in principle, capable to detect any changes in bulk, surface and interface properties of the polymer induced by degradation processes. A faster degradation has been observed for PDLLA films exposed to alkaline solutions (pH 9, pH 11 and pH 13).