Breast cancer biomarker detection through the photoluminescence of epitaxial monolayer MoS(2) flakes

In this work we report on the characterization and biological functionalization of 2D MoS(2) flakes, epitaxially grown on sapphire, to develop an optical biosensor for the breast cancer biomarker miRNA21. The MoS(2) flakes were modified with a thiolated DNA probe complementary to the target biomarker. Based on the photoluminescence of MoS(2), the hybridization events were analyzed for the target (miRNA21c) and the control non-complementary sequence (miRNA21nc). A specific redshift was observed for the hybridization with miRNA21c, but not for the control, demonstrating the biomarker recognition via PL. The homogeneity of these MoS(2) platforms was verified with microscopic maps. The detailed spectroscopic analysis of the spectra reveals changes in the trion to excitation ratio, being the redshift after the hybridization ascribed to both peaks. The results demonstrate the benefits of optical biosensors based on MoS(2) monolayer for future commercial devices.