Frontiers in Nano and Micro-Device Design for Applied Nanophotonics, Biophotonics and Nanomedicine

For the design of microdevices and nanodevices, different chemical syntheses need to be controlled to tune the nano- and microscale. Thus, new properties based on the constitution and modification of surface material could be obtained. According to the different material and metamaterial constitutions, variable properties could be developed for targeted applications, including non-classical modes of light, energy transference and smart responsive surfaces. Hence, many designs of lab-on particles, chips and optical circuits, among others, have been discussed from nano- to microscale in nanophotonics, biophotonics, neurophotonics and nanomedicine applications.

The basis of the nanoscale control was shown and discussed according to different methods of synthesis applying accurate controlled organized media conditions depending on the required size and shape of nanostructures. The importance of chemical surface modification that determined inter-nanoparticle interactions was also underlined, in addition to the final properties based on the nanomaterial constitution.

The design and development of advanced nanomaterials were revised on the basis of the synthesis of organic and inorganic materials for the fabrication of different nanocomposites and hybrid nanomaterials so as to develop advanced applications by the right tuning of each material constituent. It also was discussed how, from the combination of individual materials, metamaterials with new final macroscopic properties could be designed.

The development of varied wavelength emissions of classical light could be obtained using different materials. From the interaction of these nanomaterials within the near field of electromagnetic fields generated from metallic nanostructures, their emission could be developed and enhanced by the correctly overlapping of spectroscopical properties of both parts of the nano- or micro-luminescent device. In this way, the generation of plasmonic and enhanced plasmonics for the application of luminescence phenomena and quantum emissions was discussed.

In this chapter it is shown and discussed how luminescent emission for low molecular concentrations and targeted DNA detection, detection of individual biostructure and nanolaser fabrication for biophotonics, genomics, nanomedicine and nanotechnological applications can be transduced and improved on the basis of major research studies on the design of several nanoarchitectures, nano-patterned surfaces and their interaction with different light excitations.

In-flow methodologies have allowed the development of less timeconsuming analytical techniques requiring small volumes of real samples based on microfluidic channels, microfluidic and nanofluidic devices coupled to different optical setups. Moreover, these in-flow systems have led to the confinement of varied nanostructures and functions. Thus, from multifunctional nanoparticles to labelled biostructures, depending on the coupled detection systems, varied signals could be recorded. Likewise, chemical reactions and surface modifications could be developed looking for targeted functional modifications within in-flow methodologies. Accordingly, the detection of single molecules on lab-on particles to single targeted nanostructures, microparticles, bacteria and cells could be recorded from new modes of imaging generated from the control of molecules, surfaces and nanostructures within in flow nano- and micro-channels. Chemical surface modifications could also lead to additional physical sites of interactions and property coupling for real time biosensing.

Signal Waveguiding successfully diminished signal loss for routing different types and modes of energy, based on the optimization of energy transfer in confined channels or patterned surfaces where signal routing occurred through planar surfaces. For these reasons, all the modifications of well-known dielectric materials that enhanced signals of different wavelengths generated different types of waveguides, such as silica waveguides, organic waveguides and hybrid waveguides. In addition, from enhanced plasmonic signals, plasmonic waveguides were developed by combining and coupling different nanomaterials and metamaterials.

For the design and fabrication of nano- and microdevices, a set of different techniques should be available for the control of both scales, as discussed previously, from wet-chemistry synthetic methodologies to lithography techniques by the application of high-energy lasers and electron beam excitations. Recent developments in the field have already been introduced and discussed in the previous chapters, showing the control of the nanoscale to higher dimensions. In the examples, varied and controlled physical properties such as magnetism, plasmonics, conduction and energy transfer were applied, coupled to the right tuning of chemically modified and nanopatterned surfaces incorporated into devices of varied dimensions. Moreover, these devices should be combined with different optical setups for excitation and detection for specific functions. Consequently, interdisciplinary knowledge should be gained so as to meet innovation challenges with improved performance.

For the design of photonic and quantum circuits, special nanomaterials should be applied in order to transduce controlled quantized types and modes of energy through developed hybrid nanomaterials and metamaterials. Therefore, it is important to discuss the way in which photon delivery could be controlled from developed quantum emitters and nano-optical platforms below the nanoscale, based on energy shuttle to pass through the tuned and patterned material of the designed circuit. In this way, to gain further insights into these phenomena, examples from solar cells to modified photonic surfaces are being discussed, in addition to the generation of energy routing imaging modes.

The use of optosensors and optrodes has shown high potential for targeted and controlled light emission delivery, as recorded from confined real sample volumes for different applications. In this way, we could stimulate the chromophores of biostructures incorporated in different tissues. It should be noted that different types of signaling could be recorded in vivo, such as electrophysiology, fluorescence signaling incorporating fluorescent reporters or an accurate excitation of fluorescent biostructures. In this chapter, different components for the fabrication of these types of reduced sized sensors are being reviewed, from the development of metamaterials to the modification of optical fibers, waveguides and use of light emitting devices (LEDs). The versatility of these sensors with respect to the design of injectable and implantable devices is also shown.

Single-molecule detection (SMD) has shown to be a high-impact research field that could be developed based on nanoscale control with optical setups. In this way, different device and instrumental approaches could be implemented in biophotonic studies at SMD levels. For these reasons, varied designs of nanoplatforms, optical resonators, optical trapping, nano-patterned surfaces, and modified chemical surfaces are reviewed for SMD applications. In all these developments, signal transduction and enhancement led to the success of the targeted application. Therefore, we discuss here plasmonic [67] and enhanced plasmonic (EP) approaches, enhanced fluorescence signaling based on metal enhanced fluorescence (MEF) and plasmonic resonators, nanoantennas, and targeted molecular interactions by chemical modification of surfaces.

Recent developments in miniaturized instrumentation resulted in the design and fabrication of miniaturized microscopes with high versatility and application in neurophotonics, using portable miniaturized microscopes and even reduced-size wireless microscopes incorporated into rodent skulls, allowing different types of signal tracking and highly valuable information recording from neuro-emitters, ion channel gates, neuron interactions and other types of brain cells and that based on microscopy imaging in vivo. Here, we discuss the versatility and state-of-the-art technology of these miniaturized instrumentations.

Neurophotonics has aroused considerable interest over the last years due to the information recorded from in-vivo animals by applying light-controlled excitation and emission recording. In this section, we discuss the main labelling techniques, molecular and ion reporters and optical approaches available. Recent studies also show the application of optosensor, implantable microdevices, and knowledge from neurophotonics to the design of microdevices and circuits that mimics neurointeractions.

Precision nanomedicine based on advanced diagnosis by personalized analysis with, for example, the incorporation of genomics and specific biomarker tracking have allowed faster diagnosis and application of treatments. With controlledsize cargo nanoparticles, potential applications were also devised for targeted drug delivery, in addition to new enzymatic approaches addressing targeted delivery for targeted DNA repairs. Another novel gene therapy is also discussed. Moreover, we show, for personalized drug assay tests, how design-led to bioassays within microfluidic four-organ-chip devices in order to evaluate compatibilities and effects according to the nature and response of the organism.