Diamond-based protective layer for optical biosensors

Optical biosensors have become a powerful alternative to the conventional ways of measurement owing to their great properties, such as high sensitivity, high dynamic range, cost effectiveness and small size. Choice of an optical biosensor's materials is an important factor and impacts the quality of the obtained spectra. Examined biological objects are placed on a cover layer which may react with samples in a chemical, biological and mechanical way, therefore having a negative impact on the measurement reliability. Diamond, a metastable allotrope of carbon with sp³ hybridization, shows outstanding properties such as: great chemical stability, bio-compatibility, high thermal conductivity, wide bandgap and optical transparency. Additionally it possesses great mechanical durability, which makes it a long-lasting material. The protective diamond thin films were deposited on the substrate using Microwave Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (MW PA CVD) system. The surface morphology and roughness was assessed with atomic force microscopy and profilometry. We have performed a series of measurements to assess the biocompatibility of diamond thin films with whole blood. The results show that thin diamond protective layer does not affect the red blood cells, while retaining the sensors high resolution and dynamic range of measurement. Therefore, we conclude that diamond thin films are a viable protective coating for optical biosensors, which allows to examine many biological elements. We project that it can be particularly useful not only for biological objects but also under extreme conditions like radioactive or chemically aggressive environments and high temperatures.