Combined quantum tunnelling and dielectrophoretic trapping for molecular analysis at ultra-low analyte concentrations
Abstract Quantum tunnelling offers a unique opportunity to study nanoscale objects with atomic resolution using electrical readout. However, practical implementation is impeded by the lack of simple, stable probes, that are required for successful operation. Existing platforms offer low throughput a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21101-x |
| _version_ | 1797784471245684736 |
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| author | Longhua Tang Binoy Paulose Nadappuram Paolo Cadinu Zhiyu Zhao Liang Xue Long Yi Ren Ren Jiangwei Wang Aleksandar P. Ivanov Joshua B. Edel |
| author_facet | Longhua Tang Binoy Paulose Nadappuram Paolo Cadinu Zhiyu Zhao Liang Xue Long Yi Ren Ren Jiangwei Wang Aleksandar P. Ivanov Joshua B. Edel |
| author_sort | Longhua Tang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Quantum tunnelling offers a unique opportunity to study nanoscale objects with atomic resolution using electrical readout. However, practical implementation is impeded by the lack of simple, stable probes, that are required for successful operation. Existing platforms offer low throughput and operate in a limited range of analyte concentrations, as there is no active control to transport molecules to the sensor. We report on a standalone tunnelling probe based on double-barrelled capillary nanoelectrodes that do not require a conductive substrate to operate unlike other techniques, such as scanning tunnelling microscopy. These probes can be used to efficiently operate in solution environments and detect single molecules, including mononucleotides, oligonucleotides, and proteins. The probes are simple to fabricate, exhibit remarkable stability, and can be combined with dielectrophoretic trapping, enabling active analyte transport to the tunnelling sensor. The latter allows for up to 5-orders of magnitude increase in event detection rates and sub-femtomolar sensitivity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T00:40:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-20f17a5127d0420fbb2edabc0e595c3a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T00:40:21Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-20f17a5127d0420fbb2edabc0e595c3a2023-07-09T11:19:24ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232021-02-011211810.1038/s41467-021-21101-xCombined quantum tunnelling and dielectrophoretic trapping for molecular analysis at ultra-low analyte concentrationsLonghua Tang0Binoy Paulose Nadappuram1Paolo Cadinu2Zhiyu Zhao3Liang Xue4Long Yi5Ren Ren6Jiangwei Wang7Aleksandar P. Ivanov8Joshua B. Edel9State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering; International Research Center for Advanced Photonics, Zhejiang UniversityDepartment of Chemistry, Molecular Science Research Hub, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Chemistry, Molecular Science Research Hub, Imperial College LondonCenter of Electron Microscopy and State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang UniversityDepartment of Chemistry, Molecular Science Research Hub, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Chemistry, Molecular Science Research Hub, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Chemistry, Molecular Science Research Hub, Imperial College LondonCenter of Electron Microscopy and State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang UniversityDepartment of Chemistry, Molecular Science Research Hub, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Chemistry, Molecular Science Research Hub, Imperial College LondonAbstract Quantum tunnelling offers a unique opportunity to study nanoscale objects with atomic resolution using electrical readout. However, practical implementation is impeded by the lack of simple, stable probes, that are required for successful operation. Existing platforms offer low throughput and operate in a limited range of analyte concentrations, as there is no active control to transport molecules to the sensor. We report on a standalone tunnelling probe based on double-barrelled capillary nanoelectrodes that do not require a conductive substrate to operate unlike other techniques, such as scanning tunnelling microscopy. These probes can be used to efficiently operate in solution environments and detect single molecules, including mononucleotides, oligonucleotides, and proteins. The probes are simple to fabricate, exhibit remarkable stability, and can be combined with dielectrophoretic trapping, enabling active analyte transport to the tunnelling sensor. The latter allows for up to 5-orders of magnitude increase in event detection rates and sub-femtomolar sensitivity.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21101-x |
| spellingShingle | Longhua Tang Binoy Paulose Nadappuram Paolo Cadinu Zhiyu Zhao Liang Xue Long Yi Ren Ren Jiangwei Wang Aleksandar P. Ivanov Joshua B. Edel Combined quantum tunnelling and dielectrophoretic trapping for molecular analysis at ultra-low analyte concentrations Nature Communications |
| title | Combined quantum tunnelling and dielectrophoretic trapping for molecular analysis at ultra-low analyte concentrations |
| title_full | Combined quantum tunnelling and dielectrophoretic trapping for molecular analysis at ultra-low analyte concentrations |
| title_fullStr | Combined quantum tunnelling and dielectrophoretic trapping for molecular analysis at ultra-low analyte concentrations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Combined quantum tunnelling and dielectrophoretic trapping for molecular analysis at ultra-low analyte concentrations |
| title_short | Combined quantum tunnelling and dielectrophoretic trapping for molecular analysis at ultra-low analyte concentrations |
| title_sort | combined quantum tunnelling and dielectrophoretic trapping for molecular analysis at ultra low analyte concentrations |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21101-x |
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