Nano-Bioelectronics

Abstract

Nano-bioelectronics represents a rapidly expanding interdisciplinary field that combines nanomaterials with biology and electronics, and in so doing, offers the potentials to overcome existing challenges in bioelectronics. In particular, shrinking electronic transducer dimensions to the nanoscale and making their properties appear more biological can yield significant improvements in the sensitivity and biocompatibility, and thereby open up opportunities in fundamental biology and healthcare. This review emphasizes recent advances in nano-bioelectronics enabled with semiconductor nanostructures, including silicon nanowires (SiNWs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and graphene. First, the synthesis and electrical properties of these nanomaterials are discussed in the context of bioelectronics. Second, affinity-based nano-bioelectronic sensors for highly sensitive analysis of biomolecules are reviewed. In these studies, semiconductor nanostructures as transistor-based biosensors are discussed from fundamental device behavior through sensing applications and future challenges. Third, the complex interface between nanoelectronics and living biological systems, from single cells to live animals are reviewed. This discussion focuses on representative advances in electrophysiology enabled using semiconductor nanostructures and their nanoelectronic devices for cellular measurements through emerging work where arrays of nanoelectronic devices are incorporated within three-dimensional cell networks that define synthetic and natural tissues. Last, some challenges and exciting future opportunities are discussed.

Specific detection of biomolecules in physiological solutions using graphene transistor biosensors

“…field-effect transistor | Debye screening | surface modification | DNA aptamer receptor | polyethylene glycol N anoelectronic biosensors offer broad capabilities for label-free high-sensitivity real-time detection of biological species that are important to both fundamental research and biomedical applications (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6). In particular, field-effect transistor (FET) biosensors configured from semiconducting nanowires (1,2), single-walled carbon nanotubes (1,3,4), and graphene (1,5,6) have been extensively investigated since the first report of real-time protein detection using silicon nanowire devices (7).…”

“…In particular, field-effect transistor (FET) biosensors configured from semiconducting nanowires (1,2), single-walled carbon nanotubes (1,3,4), and graphene (1,5,6) have been extensively investigated since the first report of real-time protein detection using silicon nanowire devices (7). Subsequent studies have demonstrated highly sensitive and in some cases multiplexed detection of key analytes, including protein disease markers (8-10), nucleic acids (11)(12)(13), and viruses (14), as well as detection of protein-protein interactions (8,(15)(16)(17) and enzymatic activity (8).…”

Quasi-Two-Dimensional Metal Oxide Semiconductors Based Ultrasensitive Potentiometric Biosensors

“…Recent work has reported Bio-FETs based on onedimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) nanostructures such as nanowires, [21][22][23] nanotubes, 24 nanobelts, 25 and nanosheets. [26][27][28][29] Although those nanostructure Bio-FETs possess high 4 sensitivity, both production and application pose major challenges due to significant device-todevice variation and complicated process integration.…”

Taking Electrons out of Bioelectronics: From Bioprotonic Transistors to Ion Channels

“…Differences in methods of communication (electrons versus ions) between traditional electronic devices and biological systems result in a challenge at the interface 7, 8. Silicon nanowire and carbon nanotube transistors integrated with enzymes, antibodies, and lipid bilayers use ions to gate electronic currents and record biological reactions in the intracellular and extracellular space 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. Organic polymers with mixed electronic and ionic conductivity integrated in electrodes and electrochemical transistors transduce ionic to electronic currents and amplify small biological signals3, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 In addition, organic iontronics locally deliver ions and neurotransmitters in the extracellular space to affect cell and tissue function 23, 24, 25, 26.…”