Emerging molecular diagnosis requires ultrafast polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on chip for rapid precise detection of infectious diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, or cancers. Here we report nanoplasmonic PCR-based rapid precision molecular diagnostic chip. The nanoplasmonic pillar arrays (NAPA) comprise gold nanoislands on the top and sidewall of large-scale glass nanopillar arrays. The nanoplasmonic pillars enhance light absorption of a white light- emitting diode (LED) over the whole visible range due to strong electromagnetic hotspots between the nanoislands. As a result, they effectively induce photothermal heating for ultrafast PCR thermal cycling. The temperature profile of NAPA exhibit 30 cycles between 98 ℃ and 60 ℃ for total 3 min 30 sec during the cyclic excitation of white LED light. The experimental results also demonstrate the rapid DNA amplification of both 0.1 ng μl-1 of λ-DNA in 20 thermal cycles and 0.1 ng μl-1 of complementary DNA of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in 30 thermal cycles using a conventional PCR volume of 15 μl. Our nanoplasmonic PCR chip provides a new opportunity for rapid precision molecular diagnostics.
Project end date: 06/01/20