Nucleic acids are excellent biomarkers for disease identification; however, their isolation and detection are laborious and time-consuming, requiring specialised techniques which pose significant challenges when integrating into microfluidic devices for point-of-care diagnostics. In this work, the synthesis and characterisation of novel SiO2 nanostructures for nucleic acid isolation and detection is demonstrated. Nanomaterials have emerged as promising candidates for functional materials that can be incorporated into these small portable devices; however, these structures come with costly and complex synthesis procedures, reducing their compatibility with the themes of low-cost diagnostics, and limiting their adoption by the wider research community that don’t have access to the required instrumentation. This work outlines the synthesis and characterisation of SiO2 nanostructures synthesised using low-cost techniques, enabling both DNA isolation and detection within a microfluidic device. A novel and straightforward SiO2 deposition system was developed, based on the thermal decomposition of polydimethylsiloxane at > 450 °C, and a systematic investigation into the effect of the system parameters on the deposition morphology was studied. The ability to produce high quality, 2D thin films (1 - 18 nm thickness) and 3D nanostructures was demonstrated. Additionally, an investigation into the efficient production of both ligand-free and DNA-functionalised SiO2 nanoparticles by the well-established but traditionally inefficient method of laser ablation synthesis in solution (LASiS) was carried out. The LASiS technique demonstrated the ability to produce biocompatible SiO2 nanoparticle surface coatings which were used as a model prototype for increased functionality biocompatible implants. The DNA isolation capabilities of each SiO2 nanostructure morphology were investigated within microfluidic channels using standard fluorescence spectroscopy, followed by the development of a label-free DNA detection mechanism by growing these SiO2 nanostructures on piezoelectric quartz crystal microbalance substrates. By measuring the change in frequency and dissipation of the crystal oscillations, DNA binding events were analysed and quantified. These nanostructures show significantly enhanced DNA capture capabilities compared to planar substrates, which was verified by both fluorescence spectroscopy and changes in piezoelectric resonance frequency. This work not only provides a breakthrough in low-cost, accessible SiO2 deposition techniques but also significantly enhances the functionality and biocompatible of surfaces and biosensors, paving the way for more widespread adoption of point-of-care diagnostics.