Bent nanowires and related probing of species

• US 9,297,796 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2010
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College (Harvard Corporation)
• Original Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College (Harvard Corporation)
• Inventors: Tian, Bozhi, Xie, Ping, Kempa, Thomas J., Lieber, Charles M., Cohen-Karni, Itzhaq, Qing, Quan, Duan, Xiaojie
• Primary Examiner(s): EPPS -SMITH, JANET L
• Application Number:
  US13/497,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20120267604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,013 Days
• Field of Search: 438/1, 438/478
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 15/00 Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4146 involving nanosized elements, e.g. nanotubes, nanowires
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48728 Investigating individual cells, e.g. by patch clamp, voltage clamp investigating individual particles in general G01N15/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02603 Nanowires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/045 by their particular orientation of crystalline planes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0665 the shape of the body defining a nanostructure nanotechnology per se B82B
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0669 Nanowires or nanotubes carbon nanotubes as material of solid-state device active part H10K85/211
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/221 Carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Kinked nanowires are used for measuring electrical potentials inside simple cells. An improved intracellular entrance is achieved by modifying the kinked nanowires with phospholipids.

Claims

1. An article, comprising:

a nanoscale wire having at least one kink, wherein the nanoscale wire is a single crystal and at least a portion of a surface of the nanoscale wire is amphiphilic.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein the nanoscale wire further comprises a coating.

3. The article of claim 2, wherein the coating comprises a phospholipid.

4. The article of claim 1, wherein the nanoscale wire is a semiconductor.

5. The article of claim 1, wherein the nanoscale wire comprises a transistor.

6. The article of claim 1, wherein the nanoscale wire is disposed on a substrate.

7. The article of claim 1, wherein the nanoscale wire has a diameter less than 100 nm.

8. The article of claim 1, wherein the nanoscale wire has a length greater than 1 micron.

9. The article of claim 1, wherein the nanoscale wire has a length less than 100 nm.

10. The article of claim 1, wherein the nanoscale wire is capable of fusing with a lipid bilayer.

11. The article of claim 10, wherein the lipid bilayer is a cell membrane.

36. The article of claim 1, wherein the kink comprises a transition between a first substantially straight portion of the wire and a second substantially straight portion of the wire, wherein the transition region may have a linear length that is less than about 5% of the linear lengths of the substantially straight portions surrounding the transition region.

37. The article of claim 1, wherein the kink has an angle of about 120°

.

12. An article, comprising:

a nanoscale wire having at least one kink, wherein the nanoscale wire is a single crystal and at least a portion of a surface of the nanoscale wire is capable of fusing with a lipid bilayer.

13. The article of claim 12, wherein the lipid bilayer is a cell membrane.

14. The article of claim 12, wherein the nanoscale wire is capable of fusing with at least two lipid bilayers.

15. The article of claim 12, wherein the nanoscale wire further comprises a coating.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein the coating comprises a phospholipid.

17. The article of claim 12, wherein the nanoscale wire is a semiconductor.

18. The article of claim 12, wherein the nanoscale wire comprises a field effect transistor.

19. The article of claim 12, wherein the nanoscale wire is disposed on a substrate.

20. The article of claim 12, wherein the nanoscale wire has a diameter less than 100 nm.

21. The article of claim 12, wherein the nanoscale wire has a length greater than 1 micron.

22. The article of claim 12, wherein the nanoscale wire has a length less than 100 nm.

23. The article of claim 12, wherein the nanoscale wire is amphiphilic.

38. The article of claim 12, wherein the kink comprises a transition between a first substantially straight portion of the wire and a second substantially straight portion of the wire, wherein the transition region may have a linear length that is less than about 5% of the linear lengths of the substantially straight portions surrounding the transition region.

39. The article of claim 12, wherein the kink has an angle of about 120°

.

24. An article, comprising:

a nanoscale wire having at least one kink, wherein the nanoscale wire is a single crystal and at least a portion of the nanoscale wire is capable of penetrating a lipid bilayer using chemical interactions.

25. The article of claim 24, wherein the nanoscale wire further comprises a coating.

26. The article of claim 25, wherein the coating comprises a phospholipid.

27. The article of claim 24, wherein the lipid bilayer is a cell membrane.

28. The article of claim 24, wherein the nanoscale wire is capable of penetrating at least two lipid bilayers.

29. The article of claim 24, wherein the nanoscale wire is a semiconductor.

30. The article of claim 24, wherein the nanoscale wire comprises a field effect transistor.

31. The article of claim 24, wherein the nanoscale wire is disposed on a substrate.

32. The article of claim 24, wherein the nanoscale wire has a diameter less than 100 nm.

33. The article of claim 24, wherein the nanoscale wire has a length greater than 1 micron.

34. The article of claim 24, wherein the nanoscale wire has a length less than 100 nm.

35. The article of claim 24, wherein the nanoscale wire is amphiphilic.

40. The article of claim 24, wherein the kink comprises a transition between a first substantially straight portion of the wire and a second substantially straight portion of the wire, wherein the transition region may have a linear length that is less than about 5% of the linear lengths of the substantially straight portions surrounding the transition region.

41. The article of claim 24, wherein the kink has an angle of about 120°

.