Resumo/Summary:

NANO4BIO aims the development of an optical biodetection system, able to detect low concentrations of biomolecules, namely mycotoxins such as Ochratoxin-A, commonly found in wine. The main physical background consists in the use of the so-called Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) phenomenon, observed in metallic nanoparticles (NPs). LSPR enhances the near-field amplitude at the resonance wavelength. This field is highly localized, decaying rapidly away from the NP/dielectric interface. The research will be focused on the growth/doping of noble metal Au-NPs, into selected dielectric matrixes (transition metal oxides/nitrides) and the functionalization of such nanoplasmonic materials towards biosensing. Gold-NPs present unique properties, since they exhibit LSPR bands in the visible spectrum that can be monitored using a spectrophotometer in transmittance (TLSPR).