Multifunctional plasmonic nanoantenna arrays: bridging biosensing and electrophysiological monitoring

Plasmonic nanoantennas are emerging as powerful tools in life sciences for label-free, high-resolution analysis of biological systems. This work presents a dual-function device based on gold nanoantenna arrays that enables both molecular biosensing and electrophysiological monitoring within a single platform. Designed to operate in the near-infrared (NIR-I) biological window, the arrays exhibit strong surface lattice resonances, enhancing sensitivity while minimizing optical losses in biological media. In biosensing mode, the platform detects cortisol—a key stress biomarker—at nanomolar concentrations using aptamer-functionalized surfaces. In addition, the same device optically captures extracellular field potentials from rat cardiomyocytes, enabling contactless monitoring of cellular electrical activity. By integrating optical molecular detection and electrophysiological readout, this multifunctional platform demonstrates real-time, wireless sensing with high spatial resolution, opening new pathways for advanced diagnostics, lab-on-chip systems, and bio- optoelectronic integration.