NANOPORE ELECTRODE, NANOPORE MEMBRANE, METHODS OF PREPARATION AND SURFACE MODIFICATION, AND USE THEREOF
First Claim
1. A method of preparing a conical nanopore device using at one internal signal transduction element (“
- ISTE”
) with a conical, atomically sharp tip, the method comprising;
sealing the conical tip of the at least one ISTE in a substrate;
polishing the substrate using a polishing means in order to expose the tip of the ISTE;
monitoring the extent of the polishing using a tester; and
stopping polishing when the tester signifies that a disk of a desired radius is exposed and thus producing a nanodisk electrode;
wherein the desired radius ranges from about 2 nm to about 500 nm.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Provided are fabrication, characterization and application of a nanodisk electrode, a nanopore electrode and a nanopore membrane. These three nanostructures share common fabrication steps. In one embodiment, the fabrication of a disk electrode involves sealing a sharpened internal signal transduction element (“ISTE”) into a substrate, followed by polishing of the substrate until a nanometer-sized disk of the ISTE is exposed. The fabrication of a nanopore electrode is accomplished by etching the nanodisk electrode to create a pore in the substrate, with the remaining ISTE comprising the pore base. Complete removal of the ISTE yields a nanopore membrane, in which a conical shaped pore is embedded in a thin membrane of the substrate.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of preparing a conical nanopore device using at one internal signal transduction element (“
- ISTE”
) with a conical, atomically sharp tip, the method comprising;sealing the conical tip of the at least one ISTE in a substrate; polishing the substrate using a polishing means in order to expose the tip of the ISTE; monitoring the extent of the polishing using a tester; and stopping polishing when the tester signifies that a disk of a desired radius is exposed and thus producing a nanodisk electrode; wherein the desired radius ranges from about 2 nm to about 500 nm. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19)
- ISTE”
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12. A method of using a surface-modified nanopore electrode to control the transport of a charge species, the method comprising:
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providing a sample solution containing at least one charged species to be analyzed; providing a nanopore electrode including an internal signal transduction element (“
ISTE”
), wherein the interior surface of the nanopore comprises an entity that renders the electrical charge density at the pore orifice adjustable by an appropriate adjusting species;contacting the nanopore electrode with the solution such that the nanopore'"'"'s exterior surface is immersed in the solution and the nanopore is filled with the solution; applying an appropriate voltage between the solution and the ISTE; adding the appropriate adjusting species to the solution such that the electrical charge density at the orifice is varied and the at least one charged species passing through the nanopore can be electrostatically gated “
on” and
“
off”
by controlling the electrical charge density at the orifice;monitoring the electrical conductivity of the nanopore; and analyzing the electrical conductivity to determine to what extent the transfer of the charged species is controlled. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A method of using a surface-modified nanopore electrode to measure the pH of a sample solution, the method comprising:
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providing a sample solution; providing a glass nanopore electrode including an internal signal transduction element (“
ISTE”
), wherein the interior surface of the nanopore comprises an entity that varies the electrical charge density at the pore orifice depending on the pH value of the solution;contacting the nanopore electrode with the sample solution such that the exterior surface of the nanopore electrode is immersed in the solution and the nanopore is filled with the solutions applying an appropriate voltage between the solution and the ISTE; monitoring the electrical conductivity of the nanopore; and analyzing the electrical conductivity to determine the solution'"'"'s pH.
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15. A method of using a surface-modified nanopore electrode to measure the concentration of an analyte of interest in a sample solution, the method comprising:
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providing a sample solution containing an analyte of interest; providing a nanopore electrode including an internal signal transduction element (“
ISTE”
) wherein the interior surface of the nanopore is modified with a functional entity such that the functional entity selectively binds to the analyte of interest;contacting the nanopore electrode with the solution such that the exterior surface of the nanopore is immersed in the solution and the nanopore is filled with the solution; applying an appropriate voltage between the solution and the ISTE of the nanopore electrode; monitoring the electrical conductivity of the nanopore; and analyzing the electrical conductivity to determine to the concentration of the analyte of interest.
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20. A method of using an unmodified or surface-modified nanopore membrane to measure the concentration and properties of an analyte of interest in a sample solution, the method comprising:
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providing a sample solution containing an analyte of interest; providing a nanopore membrane; contacting the nanopore membrane with solution such that both the exterior and interior surfaces of the nanopore membrane are in contact with solution, wherein either the exterior or interior solution contains the analyte to be analyzed; applying an appropriate voltage between the solutions on opposite sides of the nanopore membrane; monitoring the electrical conductivity of the nanopore; and analyzing the electrical conductivity to determine to the concentration or properties of the analyte of interest.
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Specification