Comparison between electrochemical and optoelectrochemical impedance measurements for detection of DNA hybridization

The principles of the electrochemical and optoelectrochemical impedance measurements on bare electrolyte/dielectric/semiconductor structures are described. The analysis of the experimental curves allows access to several indications concerning the electrical behavior of such structures. The application of these techniques to follow the electrical behavior of structures modified with two biological systems was investigated. The antibody/antigen recognition did not change the surface charge and, therefore, did not affect the impedance curves with respect to the applied potential. By contrast, the hybridization of two complementary DNA strands on the surface of the structure induced a variation of flat band potential of the semiconductor leading to a shift of impedance curves along the potential axis. This means that it is possible to detect directly the DNA hybridization without the use of labeled probes. The use of light allows the surface to be probed locally. In the future, the application of this technique for direct detection of hybridization on DNA chips should be possible.