A high sensitivity and selectivity sensor is proposed using graphene ribbons which are able to readmolecular vibrations and molecular electrostatic potentials, acting as an amplifier and as atransducer converting molecular signals into current-voltage quantities of standard electronics. Twosensing mechanisms are used to demonstrate the concept using ab initio density functional methods.By using the terahertz region of the spectrum, we can characterize modes when single molecules areadsorbed on the ribbon surface. Characteristic modes can be obtained and used as fingerprints,which can be transduced into current by applying a voltage along the ribbons. On the other hand, thefully delocalized frontier molecular orbitals of graphene ribbons, commonly denominated plasmonsin larger solid state structures, are extremely sensitive to any moiety approach; once plasmons arein contact with an "agent" (actually its molecular potential), the transport through the ribbons actingas electrodes catching the signals is strongly affected.
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Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA andMaterials Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA;
