A localized surface plasmon resonance imaging instrument for multiplexed biosensing

Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) spectroscopy has been widely used for label-free, highly sensitive measurements of interactions at a surface. LSPR imaging (LSPRi) has the full advantages of LSPR but enables high-throughput, multiplexed measurements by simultaneously probing multiple individually addressable sensors on a single sample surface. Each spatially distinct sensor can be tailored to provide data regarding different surface functionalities or reaction environments. Previously, LSPRi has focused on single-particle sensing where the size scale is very small. Here, we create defined macroscale arrays of nanoparticles that are compatible with common patterning methods such as dip-pen nanolithography and multichannel microfluidic delivery devices. With this new LSPR sensing format, we report the first demonstration of multiplexed LSPR imaging and show that the increased throughput of our instrument enables the collection of a complete Langmuir binding curve on a single sensor surface. In addition, the multiplexed LSPR sensor is highly selective, as demonstrated by the hybridization of single-stranded DNA to complementary sequences immobilized on the sensor surface. The LSPR arrays described in this work exhibit uniform sensitivity and tailorable optical properties, making them an ideal platform for high-throughput, label-free analysis of a variety of molecular binding interactions.