Polymer-based surface plasmon resonance biochip: Construction and experimental aspects

Introduction: Surface plasmon resonance biosensors are high sensitive analytical instruments that normally employ glass materials at the optical substrate layer. However, the use of polymer-based substrates is increasing in the last years due to favorable features, like: disposability, ease to construction and low-cost design. Review: Recently, a polymer-based SPR biochip was proposed by using monochromatic and polychromatic input sources. Its construction and experimental considerations are detailed here. Experimental considerations and results, aspects from performance characteristics (resonance parameters, sensitivity and full width at half maximum – FWHM – calculations) are presented for hydrophilic and hydrophobic solutions. It is included also a brief description of the state of the art of polymer-based SPR biosensors.