Development of nanostructured materials for photothermal-contrast DNA-microarray hybridization read out

Design and preparation, through chemical and photochemical strategies of nanostructured materials, properly engineered to allow a covalent linkage oligonucleotides and to convert absorbed light, into heat (photothermal effect). Carbon based and inorganic nanostructured materials will be investigated including metal (zero valence) (Au, Pd, Ag), carbon-nanodots, metal oxide (Fe3O4, Co3O4), and boron nitride quantum-dots derivates. The nano-systems will be characterized by optical absorption and emission spectroscopies, dynamic light scattering and Zeta potential techniques. Photothermal yield conversion (?) will be measured. The DNA-microarray photothermal-contrast read out experiments will be performed for a high sensitivity and specificity acid nucleic hybridization recognition.