Nanocellulose Paper Semiconductor with a 3D Network Structure and Its Nano-Micro-Macro Trans-Scale Design

Semiconducting nanomaterials with 3D network structures exhibit various fascinating properties such as electrical conduction, high permeability, and large surface areas, which are beneficial for adsorption, separation, and sensing applications. However, research on these materials is substantially restricted by the limited trans-scalability of their structural design and tunability of electrical conductivity. To overcome this challenge, a pyrolyzed cellulose nanofiber paper (CNP) semiconductor with a 3D network structure is proposed. Its nano-micro-macro trans-scale structural design is achieved by a combination of iodine-mediated morphology-retaining pyrolysis with spatially controlled drying of a cellulose nanofiber dispersion and paper-crafting techniques, such as microembossing, origami, and kirigami. The electrical conduction of this semiconductor is widely and systematically tuned, via the temperature-controlled progressive pyrolysis of CNP, from insulating (1012 ω cm) to quasimetallic (10-2 ω cm), which considerably exceeds that attained in other previously reported nanomaterials with 3D networks. The pyrolyzed CNP semiconductor provides not only the tailorable functionality for applications ranging from water-vapor-selective sensors to enzymatic biofuel cell electrodes but also the designability of macroscopic device configurations for stretchable and wearable applications. This study provides a pathway to realize structurally and functionally designable semiconducting nanomaterials and all-nanocellulose semiconducting technology for diverse electronics.Koga H., Nagashima K., Suematsu K., et al. Nanocellulose Paper Semiconductor with a 3D Network Structure and Its Nano-Micro-Macro Trans-Scale Design. ACS Nano, 16(6), 8630-8640, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.1c10728

The small G protein Arf6 expressed in keratinocytes by HGF stimulation is a regulator for skin wound healing

The earlier step of cutaneous wound healing process, re-epithelialization of the wounded skin, is triggered by a variety of growth factors. However, molecular mechanisms through which growth factors trigger skin wound healing are less understood. Here, we demonstrate that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/c-Met signaling-induced expression of the small G protein Arf6 mRNA in keratinocytes is essential for the skin wound healing. Arf6 mRNA expression was dramatically induced in keratinocytes at the wounded skin, which was specifically suppressed by the c-Met inhibitor. Wound healing of the skin was significantly delayed in keratinocyte-specific Arf6 conditional knockout mice. Furthermore, Arf6 deletion from keratinocytes remarkably suppressed HGF-stimulated cell migration and peripheral membrane ruffle formation, but did not affect skin morphology and proliferation/differentiation of keratinocytes. These results are consistent with the notion that Arf6 expressed in skin keratinocytes through the HGF/c-Met signaling pathway in response to skin wounding plays an important role in skin wound healing by regulating membrane dynamics-based motogenic cellular function of keratinocytes

Metal–Oxide Nanowire Molecular Sensors and Their Promises

During the past two decades, one–dimensional (1D) metal–oxide nanowire (NW)-based molecular sensors have been witnessed as promising candidates to electrically detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) due to their high surface to volume ratio, single crystallinity, and well-defined crystal orientations. Furthermore, these unique physical/chemical features allow the integrated sensor electronics to work with a long-term stability, ultra-low power consumption, and miniature device size, which promote the fast development of “trillion sensor electronics” for Internet of things (IoT) applications. This review gives a comprehensive overview of the recent studies and achievements in 1D metal–oxide nanowire synthesis, sensor device fabrication, sensing material functionalization, and sensing mechanisms. In addition, some critical issues that impede the practical application of the 1D metal–oxide nanowire-based sensor electronics, including selectivity, long-term stability, and low power consumption, will be highlighted. Finally, we give a prospective account of the remaining issues toward the laboratory-to-market transformation of the 1D nanostructure-based sensor electronics

Fabrication of a Robust In2O3 Nanolines FET Device as a Biosensor Platform

Field-effect transistors (FETs) are attractive biosensor platforms for rapid and accurate detection of various analytes through surface immobilization of specific bio-receptors. Since it is difficult to maintain the electrical stability of semiconductors of sensing channel under physiological conditions for long periods, passivation by a stable metal oxide dielectric layer, such as Al2O3 or HfO2, is currently used as a common method to prevent damage. However, protecting the sensing channel by passivation has the disadvantage that the distance between the target and the conductive channel increases, and the sensing signal will be degraded by Debye shielding. Even though many efforts use semiconductor materials directly as channels for biosensors, the electrical stability of semiconductors in the physiological environments has rarely been studied. In this work, an In2O3 nanolines FET device with high robustness in artificial physiological solution of phosphate buffered saline (PBS) was fabricated and used as a platform for biosensors without employing passivation on the sensing channel. The FET device demonstrated reproducibility with an average threshold voltage (VTH) of 5.235 V and a standard deviation (SD) of 0.382 V. We tested the robustness of the In2O3 nanolines FET device in PBS solution and found that the device had a long-term electrical stability in PBS with more than 9 days’ exposure. Finally, we demonstrated its applicability as a biosensor platform by testing the biosensing performance towards miR-21 targets after immobilizing the phosphonic acid terminated DNA probes. Since the surface immobilization of multiple bioreceptors is feasible, we demonstrate that the robust In2O3 FET device can be an excellent biosensor platform for biosensors