Development of an Inexpensive, Rapid and Highly Sensitive Perchlorate Nanobiosensor

The proposed project focuses on development of an inexpensive and field-ready device for rapid detection of perchlorate in water and soil with high sensitivity and selectivity at low LoD. Phase I will result in a field-ready perchlorate nanobiosensor, with 1 ppb LoD. This device will dramatically lower the time and cost of perchlorate analysis. The proposed biosensor will be suitable for field use, laboratory analysis and on line monitoring, which facilitates cost-effective and convenient monitoring of perchlorate in groundwater, soil, drinking-water, food and beverages. In addition, the biosensor will be useable by breast feeding mothers for milk evaluation at home. It will thus contribute towards improvement of public health. In addition, the conducting polymer NW and NT arrays proposed in this project would have many applications beyond a perchlorate biosensor; the conducting polymer nano-arrays to be developed and investigated in the proposed project would serve as a protocol for other biosensor applications.