Gel-pad microarrays templated by patterned porous silicon for dual-mode detection of proteins.

A proof-of-concept study demonstrated the feasibility of a novel gel-pad microarray on porous silicon chips, by initiation of an atom transfer radical propagation (ATRP) polymerisation of (polyethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA) with surface Si-H species, stepwise chemical conversions of the gel membrane to an NTA-Ni2+/histidine-tagged protein system, and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectroscopy (MALDI MS) and fluorescence detections.