Nitrocellulose membrane comprising non-covalently attached organic nanostructured molecule

A method for producing a porous nitrocellulose membrane adapted for detecting a presence of a target molecule in a sample, said method comprising:

• (A) immobilizing an organic nanostructure on a surface of said nitrocellulose membrane by a plurality of non-covalent attachments, wherein said organic nanostructure comprises:
• (i) a central atom;
• (ii) a branched region having a plurality of terminal end moieties that are non-covalently attached to the surface of said porous nitrocellulose membrane;
• and
• (iii) a linear region having a covalently bound capture molecule on a terminal end of said linear region, wherein said capture molecule is adapted to selectively bind to the target material when the target material is present in the sample;
• or
• (B) (i) immobilizing an organic nanostructure on a surface of said nitrocellulose membrane by a plurality of non-covalent attachments, wherein said organic nanostructure comprises:
• (a) a central atom;
• (b) a branched region having a plurality of terminal end moieties that are non-covalently attached to the surface of said porous nitrocellulose membrane;
• and
• (c) a linear region comprising a terminal end having a functional group adapted for covalently attaching a capture molecule that is adapted to selectively bind to the target material when the target material is present in the sample;
• and
• (ii) reacting the capture molecule with the functional group of the terminal end of said linear region under conditions sufficient to produce a linear region of said organic nanostructure that comprises a covalently attached capture molecule.

A porous nitrocellulose membrane comprising a surface and a non-covalently immobilized organic nanostructured molecule of the formula:

• L-Q1-(T)a1 Formula A
• wherein
• L is a linear region moiety of said organic nanostructured molecule comprising a triazole moiety, wherein L further comprises:
• (i) a linear region terminal functional group adapted for covalently attaching a capture molecule that is adapted to selectively bind to a target molecule, or
• (2) a covalently attached capture molecule that is adapted to selectively bind to a target molecule;
• Q1 is a central atom of said organic nanostructured molecule having an oxidation state of at least 3;
• a1 is an integer from 2 to the oxidation state of Q1-1;
• and
• each T is independently a branched terminal region moiety of said organic nanostructured molecule comprising a branched terminal region functional group that is adapted to non-covalently attaching said organic nanostructured molecule to said porous nitrocellulose membrane;
• and wherein said organic nanostructured molecule is non-covalently attached to said porous nitrocellulose membrane by a plurality of said branched terminal region functional groups.