Department of Chemistry, Unit Catalogue 2008/09 |
CH30033 Electrochemistry and surfaces |
| Credits: 3 |
| Level: Honours |
| Semester: 2 |
| Assessment: EX100 |
| Requisites: |
| Before taking this unit you must take CH20151 or take CH20152 and in taking this unit you cannot take CH40033 |
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Aims & Learning Objectives: This course is in two parts. Part 1 (ca. 5-6 lectures) is concerned with biosensors, and details what a biosensor is, how different sensors work, strategies for improving Limit of Detection ands sensitivity and uses many examples from both the recent literature and commercial systems such as glucose sensing and pregnancy testing. After the first 6 lectures students should be familiar with: * The basic components of a sensor. * Key considerations for sensor R & D. * How ELISA testing works with examples linking HIV and Group B Streptococcus. * The principles behind sensors for oligonucleotides. * Electrochemical detection and signal amplification mechanisms. The next 4-5 lectures are concerned with electrochemical measurement on nano and mesoscale surfaces such as mesoporous TiO2, as well as understanding at a more fundamental level how electrons are transferred at such surfaces and what we can learn from this. After these lectures, students should: * Define the relationship between mass transport and electron transfer processes in electrochemical measurements. * Understand how a molecular build up approach can be used to make functional surfaces. * Understand how SPR, electrochemistry and impedance, can be used to gain real time information about molecular adsorption and protein-molecule binding. Content: Sensor systems introduction ELISA / Antibody sensors DNA - RNA sensing Quantification of interaction between molecules Basics of clinical microbiology Electrochemical sensor systems Advanced Electrochemical methods Nano and mesoporous surfaces - applications to sensor systems. |