Detection of protein concentrations using a pH-step titration method

A stimulus-response method based on the application of a pH step is proposed for the detection of protein immobilized in a membrane on top of an ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET). The ISFET response to a step-wise change in pH, applied at the interface between the membrane and the surrounding solution, depends on the concentration of protein immobilized in the membrane because proton-dissociation reactions of the protein cause a delayed diffusion of protons and hydroxyl ions through the membrane. Our theoretical description shows that the delay in ISFET response is linearly related to the concentration of protein immobilized in the membrane. Experiments performed with lysozyme as a model protein show the feasibility of this detection principle

ISFET responses on a stepwise change in electrolyte concentration at constant pH

Responses on a stepwise increase of the electrolyte concentration of bare ISFETs can interfere with responses of an ISFET with an affinity membrane deposited on the gate. In this paper the responses of bare ISFETs are studied. Results of experiments and simulations are presented and the mechanism is explained

A novel description of ISFET sensitivity with the buffer capacity and double-layer capacitance as key parameters

The pH sensitivity of ISFETs arises from interactions of protons with ISFET gate surface sites. This sensitivity is described by a new simpler model with the intrinsic buffer capacity and the differential capacitance as key parameters. The obtained expression is independent of the models used for the chemical surface equilibria and the charge profile in the solution. The general expression for the sensitivity is elaborated using the site-binding theory and the Gouy-Chapman-Stern theory. The relatively high sensitivity of Ta2O5 ISFETs is explained using this elaborated theory. It is shown that the electrolyte concentration has almost no influence on the sensitivity of Ta2O5 ISFETs

Transport in nanofluidic systems: a review of theory and applications

In this paper transport through nanochannels is assessed, both of liquids and of dissolved molecules or ions. First, we review principles of transport at the nanoscale, which will involve the identification of important length scales where transitions in behavior occur. We also present several important consequences that a high surface-to-volume ratio has for transport. We review liquid slip, chemical equilibria between solution and wall molecules, molecular adsorption to the channel walls and wall surface roughness. We also identify recent developments and trends in the field of nanofluidics, mention key differences with microfluidic transport and review applications. Novel opportunities are emphasized, made possible by the unique behavior of liquids at the nanoscale

Ultra-rapid and relative humidity independent drying of nanochannels

We observed that water-filled nanochannels dried up to 1000 times faster than predicted by vapor diffusional drying. Here we show that this ultra-rapid water transport is caused by very sharp channel corners siphoning (wicking) the water to the channel exit before it evaporates. Evidence is also provided that these sharp corners make the drying process independent of the relative humidity (RH) of the environment up to an RH of more than 0.9. To our knowledge this is the first time that nanochannel drying has been observed, and both the acceleration of drying and the independence of RH are highly surprising

Ion pumping in nanochannels using an asymmetric electrode array

We demonstrate an ion pump, consisting of a nanochannel with an AC driven asymmetric electrode array. Our system enables us to actively pump ions using a low driving voltage. In all experiments the electrical double layers are overlapping. Via viscous coupling ion pumping is accompanied by liquid pumping. Actuation below 500 mV at 10 Hz results in a liquid velocity of ~10 μm/s, corresponding to an electrical ion current of ~400 fA. Finite element simulations support the experimental data

Wafer-scale fabrication of high-quality tunable gold nanogap arrays for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

We report a robust and high-yield fabrication method for wafer-scale patterning of high-quality arrays of dense gold nanogaps, combining displacement Talbot lithography based shrink-etching with dry etching, wet etching, and thin film deposition techniques. By using the self-sharpening of -oriented silicon crystal planes during the wet etching process, silicon structures with extremely smooth nanogaps are obtained. Subsequent conformal deposition of a silicon nitride layer and a gold layer results in dense arrays of narrow gold nanogaps. Using this method, we successfully fabricate high-quality Au nanogaps down to 10 nm over full wafer areas. Moreover, the gap spacing can be tuned by changing the thickness of deposited Au layers. Since the roughness of the template is minimized by the crystallographic etching of silicon, the roughness of the gold nanogaps depends almost exclusively on the roughness of the sputtered gold layers. Additionally, our fabricated Au nanogaps show a significant enhancement of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signals of benzenethiol molecules chemisorbed on the structure surface, at an average enhancement factor up to 1.5 x 10(6)

Nanofluidics in point of care applications

Nanofluidics is generally described as the study of liquid flow in or around structures of 100 nm or smaller, and its use for lab on a chip devices has now been actively studied for two decades. Here a brief review is given of the impact that this nanofluidics research has had on point of care applications. Four areas are identified where nanofluidics has brought the largest contributions: single nanopores, nanoporous membranes, nanoconfinement and the use of concentration polarization. The sometimes revolutionary developments in these areas are briefly treated and finally challenges and future perspectives are described