RESUMO
A thermally oxidized macroporous silicon substrate with simple electrode structure without interdigitated electrode configuration has been reported for the detection of Salmonella typhimurium pathogens by electrical impedance measurement using antibody-antigen binding method. Macroporous silicon which has been fabricated by anodizing silicon in HF and DMF solution is a regular network of pores of 1-2 microm diameters. This has been thermally oxidized to yield the surface hydrophilic for antibody immobilization as well as provide suitable electrical insulation of the metal contacts from the underlying conducting silicon substrate. The macroporous silicon surface has been immobilized by Salmonella specific antibody and has been tested with different concentration of S. typhimurium pathogens in phosphate buffer solution (PBS). It has been found that such macroporous silicon substrates is capable of detecting down to 10(3)CFU/ml in pure culture using a 3 mm x 1 mm electrode structure with a wide spacing of 1mm. The selectivity of the macroporous silicon substrates with reference to S. typhimurium has been tested to be satisfactory by carrying out controlled experiments with Escherichia coli O157:H7.