Development of Meta-Chemical Surface by Dip-Pen Nanolithography for Precise Electrochemical Lead Sensing

Krishna K Yadav; Dror Shamir; Haya Kornweitz; Yael Peled; Moshe Zohar; Ariela Burg

doi:10.1002/smtd.202301118

Development of Meta-Chemical Surface by Dip-Pen Nanolithography for Precise Electrochemical Lead Sensing

Small Methods. 2024 Mar;8(3):e2301118. doi: 10.1002/smtd.202301118. Epub 2023 Nov 29.

Authors

Krishna K Yadav¹, Dror Shamir², Haya Kornweitz³, Yael Peled², Moshe Zohar⁴, Ariela Burg¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical Engineering, Sami Shamoon College of Engineering, Beer-Sheva, 8410802, Israel.
² Analytical Chemistry Department, NRCN, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
³ Chemical Sciences Department, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel.
⁴ Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Sami Shamoon College of Engineering, Beer Sheva, 8410802, Israel.

PMID: 38029319
DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202301118

Abstract

Dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) is a powerful and unique technique for precisely depositing tiny nano-spherical cap shapes (nanoclusters) onto a desired surface. In this study, a meta-chemical surface (MCS; a pattern with advanced features) is developed by DPN and applied to electrochemical lead sensing, yielding a calibration curve in the ppb range. An ink mixture of PMMA and NTPH (which binds to Pb (II), as supported by DFT calculations) is patterned over a Pt surface. The average height of the nanoclusters is ≈13 nm with a high surface area-to-volume ratio, which depends on the ink composition and the MCS surface. This ratio affected the sensitivity of the MCS as a detecting tool. The results indicate that the sensor's features can be controlled by the ability to control the size of the nanoclusters, attributed to the unique properties of the DPN production method. These results are significant for the water-source purification industry.

Keywords: DPN; MCS; electrochemical sensors; lead; nano spherical cap shape.