Nanoelectronic Sensors Research Articles

Dynamic Interchain Motion in 1D Tetrathiafulvalene-Based Coordination Polymers for Highly Sensitive Molecular Recognition.

The application of electrically conductive 1D coordination polymers (1D CPs) in nanoelectronic molecular recognition is theoretically promising yet rarely explored due to the challenges in their synthesis and optimization of electrical properties. In this regard, two tetrathiafulvalene-based 1D CPs, namely [Co(m-H2TTFTB)(DMF)2(H2O)]n (Co-m-TTFTB), and {[Ni(m-H2TTFTB)(CH3CH2OH)1.5(H2O)1.5]·(H2O)0.5}n (Ni-m-TTFTB) are successfully constructed. The shorter S···S contacts between the [M(solvent)3(m-H2TTFTB)]n chains contribute to a significant improvement in their electrical conductivities. The powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) under different organic solvents reveals the flexible and dynamic structural characteristic of M-m-TTFTB, which, combined with the 1D morphology, lead to their excellent performance for sensitive detection of volatile organic compounds. Co-m-TTFTB achieves a limit of detection for ethanol vapor down to 0.5ppm, which is superior to the state-of-the-art chemiresistive sensors based on metal-organic frameworks or organic polymers at room temperature. In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, PXRD measurements and density functional theory calculations reveal the molecular insertion sensing mechanism and the corresponding structure-function relationship. This work expands the applicable scenario of 1D CPs and opens a new realm of 1D CP-based nanoelectronic sensors for highly sensitive room temperature gas detection.

An Artificial Intelligence-Based Predictive Framework for Power Forecasting Using Nano-Electronic Sensors in Hybrid Renewable Energy System

This paper presents a novel Artificial Intelligence-based Predictive Framework for Power Forecasting in Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems employing Electronic Sensors in the quickly changing field of renewable energy systems. The research aims to address the challenges associated with predicting power generation in complex hybrid systems integrating various renewable sources and also make the better consideration of nanotechnology using various electronic sensors. The proposed framework provides an advanced technique for accurate and efficient power forecasting by fusing the Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) with Radial Basis Function Neural Network (RBFNN). By combining the strengths of RBFNN and GWO, it is possible to optimize the forecasting model’s parameters and improve its capacity to adjust to the changing needs of hybrid renewable energy systems. This method’s novelty lies in its ability to dynamically adjust to changing conditions, ensuring robust and precise power predictions. The initial step itself initiates with data collection for which certain nano-electronic devices are enrolled in the framework like sensors. The study includes a detailed explanation of the proposed method, emphasizing the collaborative strength of RBFNN and GWO in optimizing predictive models. Performance analysis includes thorough evaluations using accepted metrics including Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Squared Error (MSE), Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE). The outcomes highlight the suggested framework’s exceptional prediction powers and highlight its potential as a cutting-edge tool for power forecasting optimization in hybrid renewable energy systems. The present study provides significant contributions to the area by presenting a viable approach to increase the production of renewable energy’s dependability and efficiency.

Current Re-Use Architecture and Pre-Distortion Technique Employing Re-Configurable Low Noise Amplifier for the Design of Nano-Electronic Sensors

This study presents the design of reconfigurable CMOS Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) topologies to achieve acceptable linearity, gain, and low noise for Nano-sensor applications. The frequency bands at 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 28 GHz are taken into consideration for employing the Pre-distortion and current reuse technique. Millimeter Wave (MMW) frequency bands include excellent impedance matching, good isolation between the ports, To improve the futuristic applications of RADAR sensors, low noise figures and significant gain are preferred. The designed re-configurable structure achieved At 2.4 GHz, the gain is modest with a low NF of 2.6 dB, less than 2 dB at 5 GHz, and more than 10 dB at 28 GHz frequencies. The Stability of the amplifier greater than 1 dB, The arrangement of the layout with a chip measuring 0.5×0.2 mm2 and a moderate power increase make it appropriate for nanosensor creation.

Tungsten Disulfide Decorated Screen-Printed Electrodes for Sensing of Glycated Hemoglobin.

Diabetes is a global menace, and its severity results in various disorders including cardiovascular, retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy. Recently, diabetic conditions are diagnosed through the level of glycated hemoglobin. The level of glycated hemoglobin is determined with enzymatic methodology. Although the system is sensitive, it has various restrictions such as long processing times, expensive equipment required for testing, and complex steps involved in sample preparation. These limitations are a hindrance to faster results. The limitations of the developed methods can be eliminated through biosensors. In this work, an electrochemical platform was fabricated that facilitates the identification of glycated hemoglobin protein in diabetic patients. The working electrode on the integrated circuit was modified with molecularly imprinted polymer decorated with tungsten disulfide nanoparticles to enhance its analytical properties. The analytical properties of the biosensor were studied using electrochemical techniques. The obtained detection limit of the nanoelectronic sensor was 0.01 pM. The calculated sensitivity of the biosensor was observed to be 0.27 μA/pM. Also, the sensor promises to operate in a dynamic working concentration range and provide instant results.

Bioinspired two-in-one nanotransistor sensor for the simultaneous measurements of electrical and mechanical cellular responses.

The excitation-contraction dynamics in cardiac tissue are the most important physiological parameters for assessing developmental state. We demonstrate integrated nanoelectronic sensors capable of simultaneously probing electrical and mechanical cellular responses. The sensor is configured from a three-dimensional nanotransistor with its conduction channel protruding out of the plane. The structure promotes not only a tight seal with the cell for detecting action potential via field effect but also a close mechanical coupling for detecting cellular force via piezoresistive effect. Arrays of nanotransistors are integrated to realize label-free, submillisecond, and scalable interrogation of correlated cell dynamics, showing advantages in tracking and differentiating cell states in drug studies. The sensor can further decode vector information in cellular motion beyond typical scalar information acquired at the tissue level, hence offering an improved tool for cell mechanics studies. The sensor enables not only improved bioelectronic detections but also reduced invasiveness through the two-in-one converging integration.

Impact of high vacuum annealing temperature on the structural, photoluminescence, and room temperature liquefied petroleum gas sensing of direct current magnetron sputtered CdO films

In the present study, CdO nanostructure has been first deposited by direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering and then vacuum annealed at different temperatures. The optimal properties were demonstrated in the film annealed at 875 °C. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) depicted a polycrystalline structure with a cubic system. The fabricated film possesses the lowest crystal size and the highest dislocation density. The field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) evinced a porous film with a small grain size. The electron dispersive X-ray (EDX) confirmed the presence of Cd and O elements without any other undesirable chemical elements. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis ratified the high amount of the oxygen vacancies and defects. The Photoluminescence (PL) analysis manifested that the synthesized films have two main peaks at the visible region, whereas the best film has the highest amount of oxygen vacancies and defects. The film that annealed at 875 °C demonstrated the quick response and recovery times as well as a high sensitivity of (12, 15 s and 83%) towards 500 ppm of the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) molecules, respectively. In addition, the low limit of detection was calculated and it recorded 21.89 ppm. Moreover, the stability of sensor along 20 days exhibited a little decrease of around 8% of sensitivity. Therefore, this device could be exploited as a nano-electronic sensor in houses and industries.

THE RISE OF BOROPHENE AND BOROPHENE NANORIBBONS: A POTENTIAL QUANTUM ELECTRONICS MATERIAL

Borophene, a boron analogue of graphene, has been considered as an innovative two-dimensional (2D) material for the scientific and research community. First 2D boron sheet was reported in 2015 by growing it on Ag substrate. Attributable to its exceptional structural, electronic, and spin properties, it has earned enormous exploration interests in the multifaceted fields of material science, nanotechnology and computational physics. Borophene is the newest rising 2D material, which demonstrates various diversified configurations that can be marked by anisotropic and polymorphism. These configurations enabled enhanced tailoring properties of borophene for various applications. This review provides brief discussion on various experimentally synthesized borophene and borophene nanoribbon (BNR), their structural, electronic, and magnetic properties variations along with the width effect. Based upon the type of edges, BNRs are categorized as line edge-BNR (LE-BNR) and zigzag-BNR (ZZ-BNR). Electronic properties of LE-BNR with vacancy defect show semiconductor behavior and ZZ-BNR indicates metallic property. It covers all the structural allotropes, their synthesis, stability and other crucial intrinsic properties, characterization and tailoring of physical properties. Hence, this comprehensive review reported here incorporates the crucial recent experimental and theoretical advances on borophene and BNRs till date. This work also covers recent modifications reported in borophene and BNR to alter their properties as per the demands of various application areas such as nanoelectronic devices, interconnects, biosensors, metal detectors and gas sensors.

Low Noise Amplifier Design with Current Reuse Architecture and Pre-distortion Technique for Nanoelectronic Sensors Operating at 2.4 GHz

Low Noise Amplifier Design with Current Reuse Architecture and Pre-distortion Technique for Nanoelectronic Sensors Operating at 2.4 GHz

(Invited) Assembly of Multifunctional Nanoelectronic Sensors via Tissue Development

Tissue-wide electrophysiology with single-cell and single-spike spatiotemporal resolution is critical for biological studies and biomedical applications. In this talk, I will discuss the creation of cyborg organisms: the three-dimensional (3D) assembly of soft, stretchable mesh nanoelectronics across the entire living organism by the cell-cell attraction forces from 2D-to-3D tissue reconfiguration during organogenesis. We demonstrate that stretchable mesh nanoelectronics can migrate with and grow into the initial 2D cell layers to form the 3D organ with minimal impact on tissue growth and differentiation. The intimate contact between the dispersed nanoelectronics and cells enables us to chronically and systematically observe the evolution, propagation and synchronization of the bursting dynamics and biomechanical signals in different organisms through their entire organogenesis and maturation. I will also discuss the potential applications of these cyborg organisms in biology and biomedicine.

Single electron transistor based nanosensor for DNA and RNA detection

Detection and sequencing of DNA and RNA nucleobases are of immense usefulness for next-generation medical diagnostics and forensic investigation. In this work, we have proposed a novel single electron transistor (SET) based detection methodology, exploring the detection sensitivity, temperature range of operation, etc. Extensive first-principle based calculations were used to investigate the operation, electrostatics, and quantum transport behavior of the SETs in single and double-gated structures over a wide range of source–drain bias (Vd) and gate voltage (Vg). It was observed that the double-gated SET offers better electrostatic control and energy efficient operation compared to the single gated SET. Various line scans taken from the charge stability diagrams are labeled to the presence of individual nucleobases as demonstrated in the normalized differential conductance behavior. The present method offers label free biosensing and nanoelectronic sensor design in an energy efficient architecture, which can be used for other biological applications as well.

Unsupervised Idealization of Nano-Electronic Sensors Recordings with Concept Drifts: An Information Theory Approach for Non-Stationary Single-Molecule Data Analysis

Unsupervised Idealization of Nano-Electronic Sensors Recordings with Concept Drifts: An Information Theory Approach for Non-Stationary Single-Molecule Data Analysis

Influence of plate acoustic waves on electronic transport in nanowires

The acoustoelectric effect is the generation of a acoustoelectric current in a non-biased device by a piezoactive acoustic wave. This effect has recently attracted the attention of researchers as a possible method to control the motion of massive objects in the quantum regime. We suggest using this effect for development of highly sensitive nanoelectronic sensors. The sensitivity could be increased through the use of modulation mode of operation based on the acoustic pilot signal and the transition from quasi-stationary measurement to measurement at the modulation frequency. The acoustic delay line based on shear-horizontal acoustic wave of zero order (SH0) with resonant frequency 3.25 MHz in Y-X LiNbO3 plate was produced. The nanostructure consisting of nanowire with size 20 nm × 180 nm was placed in the center between IDTs. The current–voltage characteristics of this nanowire in the presence and absence of the acoustic wave were meazured by a picoampermeter. The analysis has shown that the presence of piezoactive acoustic wave is influenced by electric current in a nanowire.

Design of the trinitrotoluene biosensor using polydiacetylene conjugated with peptide receptors coated on GR-FETs with colorimetric response

PurposeSmart biosensors that can perform sensitive and selective monitoring of target analytes are tremendously valuable for trinitrotoluene (TNT) explosive detection. In this research, the pre-developed sensor was integrated with biological receptors in which they enhanced the sensitivity of the sensor. This is due to conjugated polydiacetylene onto a peptide-based molecular recognition element (Trp-His-Trp) for TNT molecules in graphene field-effect transistors (GR-FETs) as biosensor that is capable of responding to the presence of a TNT target with a colorimetric response. The authors confirmed the efficacy of the receptor while being attached to polydiacetylene (PDA) by observing the binding ability between the Trp-His-Trp and TNT to alter the electronic band structure of the PDA conjugated backbones. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate a modular system capable of transducing small-molecule TNT binding into a detectable signal. The details of the real-time and selective TNT biosensor have been reported.Design/methodology/approachFollowing an introduction, this paper describes the way of fabrication GR-FETs with conventional photolithography techniques and the other processes, which is functionalized by the TNT peptide receptors. The authors first determined the essential TNT recognition elements from UV-visible spectrophotometry spectroscopy for PDA sensor unit fabrication. In particular, the blue percentage and the chromic response were used to characterize the polymerization parameter of the conjugatedpbackbone. A continuous-flow trace vapor source of nitroaromatics (two, four, six-TNT) was designed and evaluated in terms of temperature dependence. The TNT concentration was measured by liquid/gas extraction in acetonitrile using bubbling sequence. The sensor test is performed using a four-point probe and semiconductor analyzer. Finally, brief conclusions are drawn.FindingsBecause of their unique optical and stimuli-response properties, the polydiacetylene and peptide-based platforms have been explored as an alternative to complex mechanical and electrical sensing systems. Therefore, the authors have used GR-FETs with biological receptor-PDAs as a biosensor for achieving high sensitivity and selectivity that can detect explosive substances such as TNT. The transport property changed compared to that of the field-effect transistors made by intrinsic graphene, that is, the Dirac point position moved from positive Vg to negative Vg, indicating the transition of graphene fromp-type ton-type after annealing in TNT, and when the device was tested from RT, the response of the device was found to increase linearly with increasing concentrations. Average shifting rate of the Dirac peak was obtained as 0.1-0.3 V/ppm. The resulting sensors exhibited at the limit ppm sensitivity toward TNT in real-time, with excellent selectivity over various similar aromatic compounds. The biological receptor coating may be useful for the development of sensitive and selective micro and nanoelectronic sensor devices for various other target analytes.Originality/valueThe detection of illegally transported explosives has become important as the global rise in terrorism subsequent to the events of September 11, 2001, and is at the forefront of current analytical problems. It is essential that a detection method has the selectivity to distinguish among compounds in a mixture of explosives. So, the authors are reporting a potential solution with the designing and manufacturing of electrochemical biosensor using polydiacetylene conjugated with peptide receptors coated on GR-FETs with the colorimetric response for real-time detection of TNT explosives specifically.

Nanobiotechnology approaches for engineering smart plant sensors.

Nanobiotechnology has the potential to enable smart plant sensors that communicate with and actuate electronic devices for improving plant productivity, optimize and automate water and agrochemical allocation, and enable high-throughput plant chemical phenotyping. Reducing crop loss due to environmental and pathogen-related stresses, improving resource use efficiency and selecting optimal plant traits are major challenges in plant agriculture industries worldwide. New technologies are required to accurately monitor, in real time and with high spatial and temporal resolution, plant physiological and developmental responses to their microenvironment. Nanomaterials are allowing the translation of plant chemical signals into digital information that can be monitored by standoff electronic devices. Herein, we discuss the design and interfacing of smart nanobiotechnology-based sensors that report plant signalling molecules associated with health status to agricultural and phenotyping devices via optical, wireless or electrical signals. We describe how nanomaterial-mediated delivery of genetically encoded sensors can act as tools for research and development of smart plant sensors. We assess performance parameters of smart nanobiotechnology-based sensors in plants (for example, resolution, sensitivity, accuracy and durability) including in vivo optical nanosensors and wearable nanoelectronic sensors. To conclude, we present an integrated and prospective vision on how nanotechnology could enable smart plant sensors that communicate with and actuate electronic devices for monitoring and optimizing individual plant productivity and resource use.

Orthogonal chemical functionalization of patterned Au/TiW substrate for selective immobilization of nanoparticles

The evolution of nanobiosensors stresses the need for multi-material nanopatterned surfaces to enhance sensing performances. Titanium tungsten (TiW) has been mastered and routinely implemented in nanoelectronic devices, in a reproducible way and at industrial production scales. Such a material may be envisioned for use in (bio)chemical nanoelectronic sensors, but the surface functionalization of such material has yet to be studied. In the present article, the orthogonal chemical functionalization of patterned Au on TiW substrates has been explored for the first time. Surface functionalizations were assessed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, polarization modulation infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging. Au/TiW patterned substrates were functionalized with mercapto-undecamine. Thanks to the orthogonality of thiol/Au versus phosphonic acid/TiW reactions, only the Au features were modified leading to the amine derivatized surface. This allowed for the localizing of carboxy-functionalized nanoparticles by electrostatic interaction on Au with a selectivity above 10 when compared to TiW.

Biomolecular Sensors Based on Microfluidics-Embedded Graphene Field-Effect Transistors

With the rapid pace of discovery of molecular biomarkers associated with cancer and other diseases, there is a need for bioanalytical techniques able to detect and quantify large panels of biomolecules, with high throughput and accuracy. Nanoelectronic sensors are emerging in this field due to their potential for improved sensitivity, parallelization and portability. In this presentation, I will introduce our recent progress in assembling nanoelectronic biomolecular sensors based on graphene field-effect transistor device arrays combined with microfluidic circuitry. In particular, I will present two designs targeting either DNA oligonucleotide sequences or antibody-antigen coupling, and I will describe their electrical signatures for specific and non-specific biomolecular interactions with the graphene material. Finally, I will discuss the electronic detection of breast cancer and leukemia biomarkers for clinical diagnostics applications.

(Invited) Biomedical Applications of Metal Nanoparticle-Decorated Carbon Nanostructures

Carbon nanotubes and graphene are highly sensitive to changes in the local chemical environment and serve as an ideal platform for the fabrication of label-free nanoelectronic sensors. We recently employed a series of metal nanoparticle functionalized carbon nanotube devices as cross-sensitive sensor arrays, demonstrating electronic “tongue” functions and ability to analyze different cell types. By combining analysis of sensor device characteristics with supervised machine learning algorithms, we have successfully discriminated among different analytes and accurately discerned the presence of specific analytes in the complex mixtures. Carbon nanostructures can also be used as nano-carriers for applications in medical therapeutics. To this end, we developed cup-shaped carbon nanostructures, which have an elliptical hollow space that can be corked by gold nanoparticles at the opening. To illustrate the potential of corked nanocups as drug delivery systems, loading with common fluorescent dyes, as well as chemotherapeutic drugs, was performed. By using Raman spectroscopy, we were able to demonstrate the loading and release of the cargo in biochemical model systems and tumor-associated cells. We recently demonstrated in vivo systemic nanodelivery of paclitaxel loaded gold nanoparticle-corked nanocups inhibited melanoma growth in mice with 25-30% of treated animals being tumor free after 2-3 weeks. Figure 1

Digital Biosensing by Foundry-Fabricated Graphene Sensors

The prevailing philosophy in biological testing has been to focus on simple tests with easy to interpret information such as ELISA or lateral flow assays. At the same time, there has been a decades long understanding in device physics and nanotechnology that electrical approaches have the potential to drastically improve the quality, speed, and cost of biological testing provided that computational resources are available to analyze the resulting complex data. This concept can be conceived of as “the internet of biology” in the same way miniaturized electronic sensors have enabled “the internet of things.” It is well established in the nanotechnology literature that techniques such as field effect biosensing are capable of rapid and flexible biological testing. Until now, access to this new technology has been limited to academic researchers focused on bioelectronic devices and their collaborators. Here we show that this capability is retained in an industrially manufactured device, opening access to this technology generally. Access to this type of production opens the door for rapid deployment of nanoelectronic sensors outside the research space. The low power and resource usage of these biosensors enables biotech engineers to gain immediate control over precise biological and environmental data.

Effect of ammonia and methane adsorption on the electronic structure of undoped and Fe-doped 2D silica: a first-principles calculation

Two-dimensional silicon oxide (2D SiO2) is a unique surface phase with interesting optical, structural and electronic properties. In this study, important novel results on the effect of Fe on the structural and electronic properties of 2D SiO2 during adsorption of CH4 and NH3 molecules are presented. Density functional theory calculations are used to investigate the interaction of CH4 and NH3 molecules with silica. The electronic structure and molecules adsorption energy are studied in detail for undoped and Fe-doped surfaces. The results show that adsorption of CH4 and NH3 molecules on the surface decreases the spin polarization of Fe/SiO2. The results are relevant to understanding the adsorption physics of 2D SiO2 for practical usage in modern nanoelectronic sensors for nanotechnology and optoelectronics.

Integrated Lateral Flow Device for Flow Control with Blood Separation and Biosensing

Lateral flow devices are versatile and serve a wide variety of purposes, including medical, agricultural, environmental, and military applications. Yet, the most promising opportunities of these devices for diagnosis might reside in point-of-care (POC) applications. Disposable paper-based lateral flow strips have been of particular interest, because they utilize low-cost materials and do not require expensive fabrication instruments. However, there are constraints on tuning flow rates and immunoassays functionalization in papers, as well as technical challenges in sensors’ integration and concentration units for low-abundant molecular detection. In the present work, we demonstrated an integrated lateral flow device that applied the capillary forces with functionalized polymer-based microfluidics as a strategy to realize a portable, simplified, and self-powered lateral flow device (LFD). The polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface was rendered hydrophilic via functionalization with different concentrations of Pluronic F127. Controlled flow is a key variable for immunoassay-based applications for providing enough time for protein binding to antibodies. The flow rate of the integrated LFD was regulated by the combination of multiple factors, including Pluronic F127 functionalized surface properties and surface treatments of microchannels, resistance of the integrated flow resistor, the dimensions of the microstructures and the spacing between them in the capillary pump, the contact angles, and viscosity of the fluids. Various plasma flow rates were regulated and achieved in the whole device. The LFD combined the ability to separate high quality plasma from human whole blood by using a highly asymmetric plasma separation membrane, and created controlled and steady fluid flow using capillary forces produced by the interfacial tensions. Biomarker immunoglobulin G (IgG) detection from plasma was demonstrated with a graphene nanoelectronic sensor integrated with the LFD. The developed LFD can be used as a flexible and versatile platform, and has the potential for detecting circulating biomarkers from whole blood. Sandwich-immunoassays can be performed directly on the LFD by patterning receptors for analytes on a desired substrate, and detections can be performed using a variety of sensing methods including nanoelectronic, colorimetric, or fluorescence sensors. The described bio-sensing technology presents an alternative for POC testing using small samples of human whole blood. It could benefit regions with limited access to healthcare, where delays in diagnosis can lead to quick deterioration of the quality of life and increase the morbidity and mortality.