Xinglin Wen

Metamaterials-based label-free nanosensor for conformation and affinity biosensing.

Analysis of molecular interaction and conformational dynamics of biomolecules is of paramount importance in understanding their vital functions in complex biological systems, disease detection, and new drug development. Plasmonic biosensors based upon surface plasmon resonance and localized surface plasmon resonance have become the predominant workhorse for detecting accumulated biomass caused by molecular binding events. However, unlike surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), the plasmonic biosensors indeed are not suitable tools to interrogate vibrational signatures of conformational transitions required for biomolecules to interact. Here, we show that highly tunable plasmonic metamaterials can offer two transducing channels for parallel acquisition of optical transmission and sensitive SERS spectra at the biointerface, simultaneously probing the conformational states and binding affinity of biomolecules, e.g., G-quadruplexes, in different environments. We further demonstrate the use of the metamaterials for fingerprinting and detection of the arginine-glycine-glycine domain of nucleolin, a cancer biomarker that specifically binds to a G-quadruplex, with the picomolar sensitivity.

Multiple Magnetic Mode-Based Fano Resonance in Split-Ring Resonator/Disk Nanocavities

Plasmonic Fano resonance, enabled by the weak interaction between a bright super-radiant and a subradiant resonance mode, not only is fundamentally interesting, but also exhibits potential applications ranging from extraordinary optical transmission to biosensing. Here, we demonstrate strong Fano resonances in split-ring resonators/disk (SRR/D) nanocavities. The high-order magnetic modes are observed in SRRs by polarization-resolved transmission spectroscopy. When a disk is centered within the SRRs, multiple high-order magnetic modes are coupled to a broad electric dipole mode of SRR/D, leading to significant Fano resonance spectral features in near-IR regime. The strength and line shape of the Fano resonances are tuned through varying the SRR split-angle and interparticle distance between SRR and disk. Finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) simulations are conducted to understand the coupling mechanism, and the results show good agreement with experimental data. Furthermore, the coupled structure gives a sensitivity of ∼282 nm/RIU with a figure of merit ∼4.

Cooperative Enhancement of Second-Harmonic Generation from a Single CdS Nanobelt-Hybrid Plasmonic Structure

Semiconductor nanostructures (e.g., nanowires and nanobelts) hold great promise as subwavelength coherent light sources, nonlinear optical frequency converters, and all-optical signal processors for optoelectronic applications. However, at such small scales, optical second-harmonic generation (SHG) is generally inefficient. Herein, we report on a straightforward strategy using a thin Au layer to enhance the SHG from a single CdS nanobelt by 3 orders of magnitude. Through detailed experimental and theoretical analysis, we validate that the augmented SHG originates from the mutual intensification of the local fields induced by the plasmonic nanocavity and by the reflections within the CdS Fabry-Pérot resonant cavity in this hybrid semiconductor-metal system. Polarization-dependent SHG measurements can be employed to determine and distinguish the contributions of SH signals from the CdS nanobelt and gold film, respectively. When the thickness of gold film becomes comparable to the skin depth, SHG from the gold film can be clearly observed. Our work demonstrates a facile approach for tuning the nonlinear optical properties of mesoscopic, nanostructured, and layered semiconductor materials.

Te-seeded growth of few-quintuple layer Bi2Te3 nanoplates

We report on a Te-seeded epitaxial growth of ultrathin Bi2Te3 nanoplates (down to three quintuple layers (QL)) with large planar sizes (up to tens of micrometers) through vapor transport. Optical contrast has been systematically investigated for the as-grown Bi2Te3 nanoplates on the SiO2/Si substrates, experimentally and computationally. The high and distinct optical contrast provides a fast and convenient method for the thickness determination of few-QL Bi2Te3 nanoplates. By aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, a hexagonal crystalline structure has been identified for the Te seeds, which form naturally during the growth process and initiate an epitaxial growth of the rhombohedralstructured Bi2Te3 nanoplates. The epitaxial relationship between Te and Bi2Te3 is identified to be perfect along both in-plane and out-of-plane directions of the layered nanoplate. Similar growth mechanism might be expected for other bismuth chalcogenide layered materials.

Near-infrared active metamaterials and their applications in tunable surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

By utilizing the phase change properties of vanadium dioxide (VO2), we have demonstrated the tuning of the electric and magnetic modes of split ring resonators (SRRs) simultaneously within the near IR range. The electric resonance wavelength is blue-shift about 73 nm while the magnetic resonance mode is red-shifted about 126 nm during the phase transition from insulating to metallic phases. Due to the hysteresis phenomenon of VO2 phase transition, both the electric and magnetic modes shifts are hysteretic. In addition to the frequency shift, the magnetic mode has a trend to vanish due to the fact that the metallic phase VO2 has the tendency to short the gap of SRR. We have also demonstrated the application of this active metamaterials in tunable surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), for a fixed excitation laser wavelength, the Raman intensity can be altered significantly by tuning the electric mode frequency of SRR, which is accomplished by controlling the phase of VO2 with an accurate temperature control.

A coordination and ligand replacement based three-input colorimetric logic gate sensing platform for melamine, mercury ions, and cysteine

Discrimination of different species in various target scopes within a single sensing platform can provide many advantages such as simplicity, rapidness, and cost effectiveness. Here we design a three-input colorimetric logic gate, based on the aggregation and anti-aggregation of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), for the sensing of melamine, cysteine, and Hg2+. The concept makes use of the advantages of the highly specific coordination and ligand replacement reactions between melamine, cysteine, Hg2+, and Au NPs. Different outputs are obtained with the combinational inputs in the logic gates, which can serve as a reference to discriminate different analytes within a single sensing platform. Furthermore, besides the intrinsic sensitivity and selectivity of Au NPs to melamine-like compounds, the “INH” gates of melamine/cysteine and melamine/Hg2+ in this logic system can be employed for sensitive and selective detections of cysteine and Hg2+, respectively.