Nanoelectronics, sensors and single molecule biophysics

Abstract

This special section of Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter (JPCM) is dedicated to Professor Stuart M Lindsay on the occasion of his 60th birthday and in recognition of his outstanding contributions to multiple research areas, including light scattering spectroscopy, scanning probe microscopy, biophysics, solid–liquid interfaces and molecular and nanoelectronics. It contains a collection of 14 papers in some of these areas, including a feature article by Lindsay. Each paper was subject to the normal rigorous review process of JPCM.In Lindsay's paper, he discusses the next generations of hybrid chemical-CMOS devices for low cost and personalized medical diagnosis. The discussion leads to several papers on nanotechnology for biomedical applications. Kawaguchi et al report on the detection of single pollen allergen particles using electrode embedded microchannels. Stern et al describe a structural study of three-dimensional DNA-nanoparticle assemblies. Hihath et al measure the conductance of methylated DNA, and discuss the possibility of electrical detection DNA methylation. Portillo et al study the electrostatic effects on the aggregation of prion proteins and peptides with atomic force microscopy. In an effort to understand the interactions between nanostructures and cells, Lamprecht et al report on the mapping of the intracellular distribution of carbon nanotubes with a confocal Raman imaging technique, and Wang et al focus on the intracellular delivery of gold nanoparticles using fluorescence microscopy. Park and Kristic provide theoretical analysis of micro- and nano-traps and their biological applications.This section also features several papers on the fundamentals of electron transport in single atomic wires and molecular junctions. The papers by Xu et al and by Wandlowksi et al describe new methods to measure conductance and forces in single molecule junctions and metallic atomic wires. Scullion et al report on the conductance of molecules with similar lengths but different energy barrier profiles in order to elucidate electron transport in the molecular junctions. Kiguchi and Murakoshi study metallic atomic wires under electrochemical potential control. Asai reports on a theoretical study of rectification in substituted atomic wires.Finally, Weiss et al report on a new method to pattern and functionalize oxide-free germanium surfaces with self-assembled organic monolayers, which provides interfaces between inorganic semiconductors and organic molecules.Nanoelectronics, sensors and single molecule biophysics contentsBiochemistry and semiconductor electronics—the next big hit for silicon? Stuart LindsayElectrical detection of single pollen allergen particles using electrode-embedded microchannels Chihiro Kawaguchi, Tetsuya Noda, Makusu Tsutsui, Masateru Taniguchi, Satoyuki Kawano and Tomoji KawaiQuasi 3D imaging of DNA–gold nanoparticle tetrahedral structures Avigail Stern, Dvir Rotem, Inna Popov and Danny PorathEffects of cytosine methylation on DNA charge transport Joshua Hihath, Shaoyin Guo, Peiming Zhang and Nongjian TaoEffect of electrostatics on aggregation of prion protein Sup35 peptide Alexander M Portillo, Alexey V Krasnoslobodtsev and Yuri L LyubchenkoMapping the intracellular distribution of carbon nanotubes after targeted delivery to carcinoma cells using confocal Raman imaging as a label-free technique C Lamprecht, N Gierlinger, E Heister, B Unterauer, B Plochberger, M Brameshuber, P Hinterdorfer, S Hild and A EbnerCaveolae-mediated endocytosis of biocompatible gold nanoparticles in living Hela cells Xian Hao, Jiazhen Wu, Yuping Shan, Mingjun Cai, Xin Shang, Junguang Jiang and Hongda WangStability of an aqueous quadrupole micro-trap Jae Hyun Park and Predrag S KrstićElectron transport properties of single molecular junctions under mechanical modulations Jianfeng Zhou, Cunlan Guo and Bingqian XuAn approach to measure electromechanical properties of atomic and molecular junctions Ilya V Pobelov, Gábor Mészáros, Koji Yoshida, Artem Mishchenko, Murat Gulcur, Martin R Bryce and Thomas WandlowskiSingle-molecule conductance determinations on HS(CH2)4O(CH2)4SH and HS(CH2)2O(CH2)2O(CH2)2SH, and comparison with alkanedithiols of the same length Lisa E Scullion, Edmund Leary, Simon J Higgins and Richard J NicholsMetal atomic contact under electrochemical potential control Manabu Kiguchi and Kei MurakoshiRectification in substituted atomic wires: a theoretical insight Yoshihiro AsaiHigh-fidelity chemical patterning on oxide-free germanium J Nathan Hohman, Moonhee Kim, Jeffrey A Lawrence, Patrick D McClanahan and Paul S Weiss