IMB-CNM talks: Nanomechanical sensing based on colorimetric response

Nanomechanical sensors have become an emerging and promising technology for sensing and biosensing applications, due to their small size, fast response, high sensitivity and their compatible integration into ‘‘lab-on-a-chip’’ devices. However the multiplexed capability for monitoring several nanomechanical transducers (each one associated with the detection of a specific compound) still present some limitations related mainly with the integration of the read-out methodology when working with an array of transducers (alignment, power,…).
To solve this limitation, we perform a colorimetric detection of nanomechanical bending. We present the development of polymeric nanomechanical sensors (membranes and microcantilevers) with integrated diffraction gratings based on 2D colloidal crystals.
We explore and exploit the white light diffraction to achieve a power-free array of sensors that change their reflective colour depending on the surface stress change (bending) produced on each sensor.