Microwave assisted synthesis and characterisation of a zinc oxide/tobacco mosaic virus hybrid material. An active hybrid semiconductor in a field-effect transistor device

Abstract

SummaryTobacco mosaic virus (TMV) has been employed as a robust functional template for the fabrication of a TMV/zinc oxide field effect transistor (FET). A microwave based approach, under mild conditions was employed to synthesize stable zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles, employing a molecular precursor. Insightful studies of the decomposition of the precursor were done using NMR spectroscopy and material characterization of the hybrid material derived from the decomposition was achieved using dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), grazing incidence X-ray diffractometry (GI-XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). TEM and DLS data confirm the formation of crystalline ZnO nanoparticles tethered on top of the virus template. GI-XRD investigations exhibit an orientated nature of the deposited ZnO film along the c-axis. FET devices fabricated using the zinc oxide mineralized virus template material demonstrates an operational transistor performance which was achieved without any high-temperature post-processing steps. Moreover, a further improvement in FET performance was observed by adjusting an optimal layer thickness of the deposited ZnO on top of the TMV. Such a bio-inorganic nanocomposite semiconductor material accessible using a mild and straightforward microwave processing technique could open up new future avenues within the field of bio-electronics.

Zinc Oxide Defect Microstructure and Surface Chemistry Derived from Oxidation of Metallic Zinc: Thin‐Film Transistor and Sensor Behavior of ZnO Films and Rods

“…A zinc oximato complex Zn(C 4 H 6 NO 3 ) 2 (H 2 O) 2 ( 1 ) and HMTA have recently been employed as educts in the microwave‐assisted mineralization solution (Scheme 1). [57] The oximato ligands are completely dismantled under basic conditions, which prohibits the formation of basic zinc salts as side products (Figure S6 b).…”

“… Simplified presentation of the base‐catalyzed decomposition of diaqua‐bis[2‐(methoxyimino) propanoato] zinc ( 1 ) into zinc oxide (wurtzite). The transformation into ZnO is characterized by expulsion of defined molecular products originating from the controlled degradation of the ligand framework [57] …”

“…The transformation into ZnO is characterized by expulsion of definedmolecular products originatingfrom the controlled degradation of the ligand framework. [57] has the highest intensity.H owever,w ith higher seed layer thicknesses, the relative intensity of (100) and (101) signals increases( Ta ble S1, Supporting Information). Thus, interestingly, no growth of the CBD deposits occurs in the (100) direction.…”

Capacitive Field-Effect Biosensor Studying Adsorption of Tobacco Mosaic Virus Particles

“…The tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is one of the most studied plant viruses and is formed by ca. 2130 identical copies of coat proteins helically assembled around a single-stranded genomic ribonucleic acid molecule [ 3 , 12 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. The TMV represents a high-aspect ratio, rigid, nanotube-like biological nanoparticle with a length of 300 nm for complete viruses, an outer diameter of 18 nm and a longitudinal cylindrical internal channel of 4 nm diameter [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ].…”

“…2130 identical copies of coat proteins helically assembled around a single-stranded genomic ribonucleic acid molecule [ 3 , 12 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. The TMV represents a high-aspect ratio, rigid, nanotube-like biological nanoparticle with a length of 300 nm for complete viruses, an outer diameter of 18 nm and a longitudinal cylindrical internal channel of 4 nm diameter [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. The TMV is able to infect numerous plants, many of them in the family Solanaceae (e.g., tobacco, tomato, bell pepper) causing characteristic mosaic-like dark- and light-green patterns on the leaves of infected tobacco, while it is completely harmless for mammals [ 1 , 22 , 23 ].…”