Attoliter Volumes Research Articles

Acid-base chemistry at the single ion limit.

We present the results of acid–base experiments performed at the single ion (H+ or OH−) limit in ∼6 aL volume nanopores incorporating electrochemical zero-mode waveguides (E-ZMWs). At pH 3 each E-ZMW nanopore contains ca. 3600H+ ions, and application of a negative electrochemical potential to the gold working electrode/optical cladding layer reduces H+ to H2, thereby depleting H+ and increasing the local pH within the nanopore. The change in pH was quantified by tracking the intensity of fluorescein, a pH-responsive fluorophore whose intensity increases with pH. This behavior was translated to the single ion limit by changing the initial pH of the electrolyte solution to pH 6, at which the average pore occupancy 〈n〉pore ∼3.6H+/nanopore. Application of an electrochemical potential sufficiently negative to change the local pH to pH 7 reduces the proton nanopore occupancy to 〈n〉pore ∼0.36H+/nanopore, demonstrating that the approach is sensitive to single H+ manipulations, as evidenced by clear potential-dependent changes in fluorescein emission intensity. In addition, at high overpotential, the observed fluorescence intensity exceeded the value predicted from the fluorescence intensity-pH calibration, an observation attributed to the nucleation of H2 nanobubbles as confirmed both by calculations and the behavior of non-pH responsive Alexa 488 fluorophore. Apart from enhancing fundamental understanding, the approach described here opens the door to applications requiring ultrasensitive ion sensing, based on the optical detection of H+ population at the single ion limit.

Noise analysis of cytosolic calcium image data

Cellular Ca2+ signals are often constrained to cytosolic micro- or nano-domains where stochastic openings of Ca2+ channels cause large fluctuations in local Ca2+ concentration (Ca2+ ‘noise’). With the advent of TIRF microscopy to image the fluorescence of Ca2+-sensitive probes from attoliter volumes it has become possible to directly monitor these signals, which closely track the gating of plasmalemmal and ER Ca2+-permeable channels. Nevertheless, it is likely that many physiologically important Ca2+ signals are too small to resolve as discrete events in fluorescence recordings. By analogy with noise analysis of electrophysiological data, we explore here the use of statistical approaches to detect and analyze such Ca2+ noise in images obtained using Ca2+-sensitive indicator dyes. We describe two techniques - power spectrum analysis and spatio-temporal correlation - and demonstrate that both effectively identify discrete, spatially localized calcium release events (Ca2+ puffs). Moreover, we show they are able to detect localized noise fluctuations in a case where discrete events cannot directly be resolved.

Capture of Single Silver Nanoparticles in Nanopore Arrays Detected by Simultaneous Amperometry and Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering.

The attoliter volumes and confinement abilities of zero-dimensional nanopore-electrode arrays (NEAs) hold considerable promise for examining the behavior of single nanoparticles. In this work, we use surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) in tandem with amperometry in order to monitor single Ag Raman-sentinel nanoparticles transported to and captured in single nanopores. To that end, highly ordered solid-state NEAs were fabricated to contain periodic arrays of nanopores, each housing a single recessed Au-ring electrode. These were used to electrostatically capture and trap single silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) functionalized with the electrochemically stable Raman reporter, 1,4-bis(2-methylstyryl)benzene (bis-MSB). Transport and capture of the bis-MSB-tagged AgNPs in the nanopores was followed by simultaneous amperometry and SERS signals characteristic of AgNP oxidation and enhanced Raman scattering by bis-MSB at silver-gold hot spots, respectively. The frequency and magnitude of oxidation-current spikes increased with stepwise increases in DC voltage, and characteristic bis-MSB SERS spectra were observed. Under AC excitation, on the other hand, two distinctly different types of SERS signals were observed, independent of frequency and amplitude: (1) strong, transient (<10 s) spectra and (2) slow (>100 s) monotonically diminishing spectra. We hypothesize that the former behavior results from AgNP aggregates, whereas the latter occurs as a result of multiple incomplete AgNP-oxidation events in succession. These results show that attoliter-volume NEAs are competent for acquiring concurrent SERS spectra and for amperometry of single nanoparticles and that together these measurements can illuminate the collision dynamics of nanoparticles in confined environments.

Template-Free Synthesis and Selective Filling of Janus Nanocups.

We report on the formation of shape- and surface-anisotropic Janus nanocups (JNCs) by evaporation-induced confinement assembly (EICA) of ABC triblock terpolymers. During microphase separation in spherical confinement, the triblock terpolymer spontaneously adopted a hemispherical shape with an inner concentric lamella-lamella (ll) morphology. Cross-linking and disassembly of the microparticles resulted in well-defined JNCs with different chemistry on the inside and outside. By synthesizing polymers with increasing length of the cross-linkable block, we tuned the mechanical stability of the nanocups, which is relevant to control opening and closing of the cup cavity. We utilize the Janus properties for selective uptake of cargo exemplified by the filling of JNCs with polymer or gold nanoparticles. The directional properties of JNCs suggest applications in locomotion, oil-spill recovery, storage and release, templating, and as nanoreactors with attoliter volume.

Voltage-Gated Nanoparticle Transport and Collisions in Attoliter-Volume Nanopore Electrode Arrays.

Single nanoparticle analysis can reveal how particle-to-particle heterogeneity affects ensemble properties derived from traditional bulk measurements. High-bandwidth, low noise electrochemical measurements are needed to examine the fast heterogeneous electron-transfer behavior of single nanoparticles with sufficient fidelity to resolve the behavior of individual nanoparticles. Herein, nanopore electrode arrays (NEAs) are fabricated in which each pore supports two vertically spaced, individually addressable electrodes. The top ring electrode serves as a particle gate to control the transport of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) within individual attoliter volume NEAs nanopores, as shown by redox collisions of AgNPs collisions at the bottom disk electrode. The AgNP-nanoporeis system has wide-ranging technological applications as well as fundamental interest, since the transport of AgNPs within the NEA mimics the transport of ions through cell membranes via voltage-gated ion channels. A voltage threshold is observed above which AgNPs are able to access the bottom electrode of the NEAs, i.e., a minimum potential at the gate electrode is required to switch between few and many observed collision events on the collector electrode. It is further shown that this threshold voltage is strongly dependent on the applied voltage at both electrodes as well as the size of AgNPs, as shown both experimentally and through finite-element modeling. Overall, this study provides a precise method of monitoring nanoparticle transport and in situ redox reactions within nanoconfined spaces at the single particle level.

Separation of extracellular nanovesicles and apoptotic bodies from cancer cell culture broth using tunable microfluidic systems

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are the cell-secreted nano- and micro-sized particles consisted of lipid bilayer containing nucleic acids and proteins for diagnosis and therapeutic applications. The inherent complexity of EVs is a source of heterogeneity in various potential applications of the biological nanovesicles including analysis. To diminish heterogeneity, EV should be isolated and separated according to their sizes and cargos. However, current technologies do not meet the requirements. We showed noninvasive and precise separation of EVs based on their sizes without any recognizable damages. We separated atto-liter volumes of biological nanoparticles through operation of the present system showing relatively large volume of sample treatment to milliliters within an hour. We observed distinct size and morphological differences of 30 to 100 nm of exosomes and apoptotic bodies through TEM analysis. Indeed, we confirmed the biological moiety variations through immunoblotting with noninvasively separated EVs opening new windows in study and application of the biological nanoparticles.

Atomic Force Microscopy-Infrared Spectroscopy of Individual Atmospheric Aerosol Particles: Subdiffraction Limit Vibrational Spectroscopy and Morphological Analysis.

Chemical analysis of atmospheric aerosols is an analytical challenge, as aerosol particles are complex chemical mixtures that can contain hundreds to thousands of species in attoliter volumes at the most abundant sizes in the atmosphere (∼100 nm). These particles have global impacts on climate and health, but there are few methods available that combine imaging and the detailed molecular information from vibrational spectroscopy for individual particles <500 nm. Herein, we show the first application of atomic force microscopy with infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) to detect trace organic and inorganic species and probe intraparticle chemical variation in individual particles down to 150 nm. By detecting photothermal expansion at frequencies where particle species absorb IR photons from a tunable laser, AFM-IR can study particles smaller than the optical diffraction limit. Combining strengths of AFM (ambient pressure, height, morphology, and phase measurements) with photothermal IR spectroscopy, the potential of AFM-IR is shown for a diverse set of single-component particles, liquid-liquid phase separated particles (core-shell morphology), and ambient atmospheric particles. The spectra from atmospheric model systems (ammonium sulfate, sodium nitrate, succinic acid, and sucrose) had clearly identifiable features that correlate with absorption frequencies for infrared-active modes. Additionally, molecular information was obtained with <100 nm spatial resolution for phase separated particles with a ∼150 nm shell and 300 nm core. The subdiffraction limit capability of AFM-IR has the potential to advance understanding of particle impacts on climate and health by improving analytical capabilities to study water uptake, heterogeneous reactivity, and viscosity.

High Throughput Synthesis of Multifunctional Oxide Nanostructures within Nanoreactors Defined by Beam Pen Lithography.

Reliably obtaining nanostructures of complex oxides over large area with nanoscale resolution and well-controlled shape, spacing, and pattern symmetry remains a major challenge. In this article, millions of nanowells have been routinely generated by beam pen lithography. Each attoliter volume nanowell functions as a "nanoreactor", inside which oxide nanostructures are synthesized from their sol-gel precursors. Importantly, these nanometer scale entities are in single crystalline or textured forms and epitaxial to the underlying substrates, which promises functionalities including ferroelectricity, ferromagnetism, and multiferroicity. This method provides a general solution which allows one to rapidly screen structural parameters of oxide nanostructures comprising of three or more elements for prominent properties.

Enhanced Heat Stability of α‐Chymotrypsin through Single‐Enzyme Confinement in Attoliter Liposomes

The entrapment of α-chymotrypsin (α-CT) within 70-140 nm liposomes formed from POPC (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) leads to an unexpected and remarkable increase in the thermal stability of the enzyme. This finding is based on the observation that heating aqueous suspensions of α-CT-containing POPC liposomes to 80 °C for 30 minutes resulted in partial enzyme inactivation, whereas the same treatment of aqueous solutions of free α-CT inactivated the enzyme completely. The stabilizing effect of enzyme confinement in the attoliter volumes of the liposomes was found to increase with decreasing numbers of α-CT molecules per liposome. Single-enzyme confinement was particularly effective, as intermolecular interactions between heat-denatured α-CT molecules (causing irreversible inactivation) are not possible.

Quantitative measurement of transmitters in individual vesicles in the cytoplasm of single cells with nanotip electrodes.

The quantification of vesicular transmitter content is important for studying the mechanisms of neurotransmission and malfunction in disease, and yet it is incredibly difficult to measure the tiny amounts of neurotransmitters in the attoliter volume of a single vesicle, especially in the cell environment. We introduce a novel method, intracellular vesicle electrochemical cytometry. A nanotip conical carbon-fiber microelectrode was used to electrochemically measure the total content of electroactive neurotransmitters in individual nanoscale vesicles in single PC12 cells as these vesicles lysed on the electrode inside the living cell. The results demonstrate that only a fraction of the quantal neurotransmitter content is released during exocytosis. These data support the intriguing hypothesis that the vesicle does not open all the way during the normal exocytosis process, thus resulting in incomplete expulsion of the vesicular contents.

Quantitative Measurement of Transmitters in Individual Vesicles in the Cytoplasm of Single Cells with Nanotip Electrodes

AbstractThe quantification of vesicular transmitter content is important for studying the mechanisms of neurotransmission and malfunction in disease, and yet it is incredibly difficult to measure the tiny amounts of neurotransmitters in the attoliter volume of a single vesicle, especially in the cell environment. We introduce a novel method, intracellular vesicle electrochemical cytometry. A nanotip conical carbon‐fiber microelectrode was used to electrochemically measure the total content of electroactive neurotransmitters in individual nanoscale vesicles in single PC12 cells as these vesicles lysed on the electrode inside the living cell. The results demonstrate that only a fraction of the quantal neurotransmitter content is released during exocytosis. These data support the intriguing hypothesis that the vesicle does not open all the way during the normal exocytosis process, thus resulting in incomplete expulsion of the vesicular contents.

Single-molecule-sensitive fluorescence resonance energy transfer in freely-diffusing attoliter droplets

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from individual, dye-labeled RNA molecules confined in freely-diffusing attoliter-volume aqueous droplets is carefully compared to FRET from unconfined RNA in solution. The use of freely-diffusing droplets is a remarkably simple and high-throughput technique that facilitates a substantial increase in signal-to-noise for single-molecular-pair FRET measurements. We show that there can be dramatic differences between FRET in solution and in droplets, which we attribute primarily to an altered pH in the confining environment. We also demonstrate that a sufficient concentration of a non-ionic surfactant mitigates this effect and restores FRET to its neutral-pH solution value. At low surfactant levels, even accounting for pH, we observe differences between the distribution of FRET values in solution and in droplets which remain unexplained. Our results will facilitate the use of nanoemulsion droplets as attoliter volume reactors for use in biophysical and biochemical assays, and also in applications such as protein crystallization or nanoparticle synthesis, where careful attention to the pH of the confined phase is required.

FRET enhancement in aluminum zero-mode waveguides.

Zero-mode waveguides (ZMWs) can confine light into attoliter volumes, which enables single molecule fluorescence experiments at physiological micromolar concentrations. Of the fluorescence spectroscopy techniques that can be enhanced by ZMWs, Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is one of the most widely used in life sciences. Combining zero-mode waveguides with FRET provides new opportunities to investigate biochemical structures or follow interaction dynamics at micromolar concentrations with single-molecule resolution. However, prior to any quantitative FRET analysis on biological samples, it is crucial to establish first the influence of the ZMW on the FRET process. Here, we quantify the FRET rates and efficiencies between individual donor-acceptor fluorophore pairs that diffuse into aluminum zero-mode waveguides. Aluminum ZMWs are important structures thanks to their commercial availability and the large amount of literature that describe their use for single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy. We also compared the results between ZMWs milled in gold and aluminum, and found that although gold has a stronger influence on the decay rates, the lower losses of aluminum in the green spectral region provide larger fluorescence brightness enhancement factors. For both aluminum and gold ZMWs, we observed that the FRET rate scales linearly with the isolated donor decay rate and the local density of optical states. Detailed information about FRET in ZMWs unlocks their application as new devices for enhanced single-molecule FRET at physiological concentrations.

Absolute Photoluminescence Quantum Yield Measurement in a Complex Nanoscopic System with Multiple Overlapping States.

Using a metal nanocavity, we measure absolute values of the photoluminescence quantum yield in a mixture of different types of chromophores (dye molecules and semiconductor nanocrystals). We show that measurements can be performed in an attoliter volume, both in liquid and solid phases, even if both types of chromophores absorb and emit light in the same spectral range. The method is based on recording photoluminescence decay curves of the chromophore mixture as a function of the cavity length. Changing the distance between the cavity mirrors modifies the local density of states of the electromagnetic field and thus, the radiative transition rate of the enclosed emitters. By extracting individual decay components, corresponding to the different types of the emitters, we determine their quantum yield values separately and simultaneously. The nanocavity-based method opens up new perspectives for studying quantum emitters in complex photophysical systems, for instance, multichromophoric thin films, fluorescent proteins, or dyes incorporated into a lipid bilayer.

Liquid Ink Deposition from an Atomic Force Microscope Tip: Deposition Monitoring and Control of Feature Size

The controlled deposition of attoliter volumes of liquid inks may engender novel applications such as targeted drug delivery to single cells and localized delivery of chemical reagents at nanoscale dimensions. Although the deposition of small organic molecules from an atomic force microscope tip, known as dip-pen nanolithography (DPN), has been extensively studied, the deposition of liquid inks is little understood. In this work, we have used a set of model ink-substrate systems to develop an understanding of the deposition of viscous liquids using an unmodified AFM tip. First, the growth of dot size with increasing dwell time is characterized. The dynamics of deposition are found to vary for different ink-substrate systems, and the change in deposition rate over the course of an experiment limits our ability to quantify the ink-transfer dynamics in terms of liquid properties and substrate wettability. We find that the most critical parameter affecting the deposition rate is the volume of ink on the cantilever, an effect resulting in a 10-fold decrease in deposition rate (aL/s) over 2 h of printing time. We suggest that a driving force for deposition arises from the gradient in Laplace pressure set up when the tip touches the substrate. Second, the forces acting upon the AFM cantilever during ink deposition were measured in order to gain insight into the underlying ink-transfer mechanism. The force curve data and simple geometrical arguments were used to elucidate the shape of the ink meniscus at the instant of deposition, a methodology that may be used as an accurate and real-time means of monitoring the volume of deposited dots. Taken together, our results illustrate that liquid deposition involves a very different transfer mechanism than traditionally ascribed to DPN molecular transport.

Single Molecules in Attoliter Droplets: A Comparison of FRET from Free and Confined RNA

Single molecular-pair fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) has become a cross-disciplinary tool for understanding molecular folding and interactions. To the extent that much of this work is in vitro, many methods have been devised to hold molecules in a detection volume. Among others, these include surface functionalization and attachment, liposomal confinement, and gel encapsulation. Here we demonstrate the use of free, but slowly diffusing, attoliter volume aqueous droplets in perfluorinated oil as nanoenvironments for single-molecule sensitive measurement. FRET from dye-labeled RNA confined to droplets is compared with FRET from freely-diffusing RNA. We show that droplet-confinement results in dramatically higher signal-to-noise and longer observation times than are possible for freely-diffusing molecules. The effects of confinement on the molecular environment will be discussed, and a method for determining the pH in attoliter droplets will be described.

Downscaling the Analysis of Complex Transmembrane Signaling Cascades to Closed Attoliter Volumes

Cellular signaling is classically investigated by measuring optical or electrical properties of single or populations of living cells. Here we show that ligand binding to cell surface receptors and subsequent activation of signaling cascades can be monitored in single, (sub-)micrometer sized native vesicles with single-molecule sensitivity. The vesicles are derived from live mammalian cells using chemicals or optical tweezers. They comprise parts of a cell’s plasma membrane and cytosol and represent the smallest autonomous containers performing cellular signaling reactions thus functioning like minimized cells. Using fluorescence microscopies, we measured in individual vesicles the different steps of G-protein-coupled receptor mediated signaling like ligand binding to receptors, subsequent G-protein activation and finally arrestin translocation indicating receptor deactivation. Observing cellular signaling reactions in individual vesicles opens the door for downscaling bioanalysis of cellular functions to the attoliter range, multiplexing single cell analysis, and investigating receptor mediated signaling in multiarray format.

Thermo-optical response of photonic crystal cavities operating in the visible spectral range

In this paper we study thermo-optical effects in gallium phosphite photonic crystal cavities in the visible range. By measuring the shift of narrow resonances, we derive the temperature dependency of the local refractive index of gallium phosphide in an attoliter volume over a temperature range between 5 and 300 K at a wavelength of about 605 nm. Additionally, the potential of photonic crystal cavities for thermo-optical switching of visible light is investigated. As an example we demonstrate thermo-optical switching with 13 dB contrast.

Separation and liquid chromatography using a single carbon nanotube

Use of a single template-grown carbon nanotube as a separation column to separate attoliter volumes of binary mixtures of fluorescent dyes has been demonstrated. The cylindrical nanotube walls are used as stationary phase and the surface area is increased by growing smaller multi-walled carbon nanotubes within the larger nanotube column. Liquid-liquid extraction is performed to separate selectively soluble solutes in a solvent, and chromatographic separation is demonstrated using thin, long nanotubes coated inside with iron oxide nanoparticles. The setup is also used to determine the diffusion coefficient of a solute at the sub-micrometer scale. This study opens avenues for analytical chemistry in attoliter volumes of fluids for various applications and cellular analysis at the single cell level.

Nanoreactors for Studying Single Nanoparticle Coarsening

The ability to observe intermediate structures as part of coarsening processes that lead to the formation of single nanoparticles (NPs) is important in gaining fundamental insight pertaining to nanostructure growth. Here, we use scanning probe block copolymer lithography (SPBCL) to create "nanoreactors" having attoliter volumes, which confine Au NP nucleation and growth to features having diameters <150 nm on a substrate. With this technique, one can use in situ TEM to directly observe and study NP coarsening and differentiate Ostwald ripening from coalescence processes. Importantly, the number of metal atoms that can engage in coarsening can be controlled with this technique, and TEM "snapshots" of particle growth can be taken. The size of the resulting nanostructures can be controlled in the 2-10 nm regime.