Nanowire manufacture and approaches therefor

• US 8,304,523 B1
• Filed: 04/12/2006
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Inventors: Louie, Ryan K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burkhart, Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/402,647
• Time in Patent Office: 2,400 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 530/412
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 5/00 Nanobiotechnology or nanomedicine, e.g. protein engineering or drug delivery

Abstract

Nanowires are constructed using a variety of methods. Using one such method, a nanowire material is introduced to a microtubule lumen as a solution. The nanowire material is solidified to form a nanowire substantially within the microtubule lumen.

Claims

1. A method for casting a nanowire, the method comprising:

introducing a solution of a nanowire material to a microtubule; and

using the microtubule and the nanowire material from the solution to form a nanowire having a shape defined by the microtubule.

2. The method of claim 1, further including forming the microtubule by polymerizing the microtubule using paclitaxel.

3. The method of claim 1, further including, prior to forming the nanowire, conjugating the nanowire material with a molecule that binds to a wall of the microtubule.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein introducing a solution of a nanowire material includes introducing a solution having first and second nanowire materials, further including

conjugating the first nanowire material with a first molecule that binds to a first portion of a wall of the microtubule,

conjugating the second nanowire material with a second molecule that binds to a second portion of a wall of the microtubule, and

wherein using the nanowire material from the solution and the microtubule to form a nanowire forms a nanowire having both the first and second nanowire materials.

5. The method of claim 1, further including

conjugating the first nanowire material with a first molecule that binds to a first portion of a wall of the microtubule,

conjugating the second nanowire material with a second molecule that binds to a second portion of a wall of the microtubule, and

wherein using the nanowire material from the solution and the microtubule to form a nanowire forms a coaxial nanowire structure having both the first and second nanowire materials.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the nanowire material includes at least one of a metal and a semiconductor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein using the microtubule and the nanowire material from the solution to form a nanowire includes reducing an ionized form of the nanowire material.

8. The method of claim 1, further including removing the microtubule from the nanowire using at least one of heat and a chemical reaction.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein introducing a solution of a nanowire material includes introducing a solution having first and second nanowire materials, further including

forming a first material binding site on a first portion of the microtubule,

forming a second material binding site on a second portion of the microtubule,

binding the first nanowire material to the first material binding site and the second nanowire material to the second material binding site, and

wherein using the nanowire material from the solution and the microtubule to form a nanowire forms a nanowire having both the first and second nanowire materials.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein introducing a solution of a nanowire material includes introducing a solution having first and second nanowire materials, further including

forming a first material binding site on a first portion of the microtubule,

forming a second material binding site on a second portion of the microtubule,

binding the first nanowire material to the first material binding site and the second nanowire material to the second material binding site, and

wherein using the nanowire material from the solution and the microtubule to form a nanowire forms a coaxial nanowire structure having both the first and second nanowire materials.

11. The method of claim 1, further including monitoring changes in the electrical properties of the nanowire due to molecules interacting with the microtubule.

12. The method of claim 1, further including moving the nanowire by controlling the movement of the microtubule using proteins.

13. The method of claim 1, further including

inserting the microtubule and the nanowire into a biological cell, and

controlling the physiology of the biological cell from an external source using electrical or magnetic signals exerted on the nanowire.

14. The method of claim 1, further including moving the nanowire longitudinally within the microtubule.

15. The method of claim 1, further including

using the characteristics of a plus end of the microtubule to position the plus end of the microtubule relative to a first location, and

using the characteristics of a minus end of the microtubule to position the minus end relative to a second location.

16. The method of claim 1, further including using microtubule binding molecules to guide the microtubule and the nanowire.

17. The method of claim 1, further including using electrical or magnetic signals to guide the orientation, positioning, and connectivity of the microtubule and the nanowire.

18. The method of claim 1, further including

inserting the microtubule and the nanowire into a biological cell, and

determining the location and properties of the biological cell by detecting the nanowire using an electrical or magnetic signal.

19. The method of claim 1, further including

inserting the microtubule and the nanowire into a biological cell, and

controlling physiology of the biological cell from an external source using electrical and magnetic signals exerted on the nanowire.

20. A method for forming a nanowire, the method comprising:

aliquoting and storing tubulin in G-PEM buffer plus glycerol;

polymerizing tubulin in the presence of paclitaxel solution to produce a microtubule having a lumen;

incubating the microtubule in a silver nitrate solution;

reducing silver from the silver nitrate solution to silver solid in citric acid, thereby forming a nanowire; and

wherein a substantial portion of the silver solid is within the microtubule lumen.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the tubulin consists of bovine brain tubulin.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the silver nitrate solution is produced by dissolving silver nitrate in double distilled water, and

the paclitaxel solution is produced by dissolving and storing paclitaxel in dimethylsulfoxide at about −

20 degrees Centigrade.

23. The method of claim 20, further including stripping the microtubule from the nanowire using proteinase k digestion and heating to about 97 degrees Centigrade for about 30 minutes.

24. The method of claim 20, further including using motor proteins to move the microtubule and the nanowire.

25. The method of claim 20, further including

using the characteristics of a plus end of the microtubule to position the plus end of the microtubule relative to a first location, and

using the characteristics of a minus end of the microtubule to position the minus end relative to a second location.

26. The method of claim 20, further including

inserting the microtubule and the nanowire into a biological cell, and

determining the location of the biological cell by detecting the nanowire using an electrical sensor.