Inventors:
David G. Whitten - Albuquerque NM, US
Sireesha Chemburu - Albuquerque NM, US
Thomas Corbitt - Albuquerque NM, US
Linnea Ista - Albuquerque NM, US
Gabriel Lopez - Albuquerque NM, US
Kirk S. Schanze - Gainesville FL, US
Motokatsu Ogawa - Sherman Oaks CA, US
Eunkyung Ji - Albuquerque NM, US
International Classification:
G01N 33/552
G01N 33/543
US Classification:
436527, 422 8205, 422 8206, 422 8207, 422 8208, 436 85, 436 86, 436 87, 436 88, 436 89, 436 90, 436 91, 436 92, 436 93, 436 94, 436 95, 436 96, 436 97, 436 98, 436166, 436172, 436518, 436523, 436524, 436525, 436526, 436528, 436529, 436530, 436531
Abstract:
A surface grafted conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE) is formed by coupling a CPE by a coupling moiety to the surface of a substrate. The substrate can be of any shape and size, and for many uses of the surface grafted CPE, it is advantageous that the substrate is a nanoparticle or microparticle. Surface grafted CPEs are presented that use silica particles as the substrate, where a modified silane coupling agent connects the surface to the CPE by a series of covalent bonds. Two methods of preparing the surface grafted CPEs are presented. One method involves the inclusion of the surface being modified by the coupling agent and condensed with monomers that form the CPE in a grafted state to the substrate. A second method involves the formation of a CPE with terminal groups that are complimentary to functionality that has been placed on the surface of the substrate by reaction with a coupling agent. The surface grafted CPEs are also described for use as biosensors and biocides.