A capillary biosensor is demonstrated which uses the waveguiding properties of the capillary to integrate the signal over an increased surface area without simultaneously increasing the background noise from the detector. This biosensor achieves limits of detection of 30-50 pg/mL in immunoassays using a diode laser for excitation and a PMT for detection. This is approximately 2 orders of magnitude greater sensitivity than was achieved using the same immunoassay reagents in a fiber optic biosensor or a planar array biosensor. Two different approaches to using the capillaries as immunosensors are described, either of which could be adapted for multianalyte sensing.

Electrically conducting polymers were prepared through a systematic photopolymerization of polypyrrole with the incorporation of Group 1B metal particles. The structural and morphological properties of incorporated metal nanoparticles were examined with respect to the role of the metals ions, nature of substrates, exposure time, and monomer counterion ratios. Elemental analysis confirmed the identities of the particles with sizes on the order of hundreds of nanometers in diameter. A mechanism is proposed for the formation of metal nanostructure during photopolymerization.

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