Electronic Interfacing Between a Living Cell and a Nanodevice: A Bio-Nano Hybrid System
Year: 2013
Type: report
Abstract: The primary goal of this program was to couple physical electronics with live cells to leverage the highly sophisticated functions of a biological system to ultimately create advanced functionality. The study was built on a unique self-assembled architecture of nanoparticles that exhibits transport properties that are sensitive to single-electron charge modulation. At room temperature, the energy of switching due to single-electron charge modulation was in the range of 4 to 100 kT. The structure invented in the principal investigator’s lab is a two-dimensional (2D) network of one-dimensional (1D) necklaces of 10 nm Au nanoparticles. The electron transport through the necklace network is regulated by quantum mechanical single-electron traps. As a result of the single electron traps, the all metal nanoparticle network array displays a conduction band gap. Fundamental studies on the transport properties of the network in air and water were studied to regulate the band gap by tailoring the network structure to demonstrate the first electrochemical single electron transistor operating in water. Cells were interfaced with the network to observe electrochemical activity in a cell during photosynthesis and single viral infection.
DOI: 10.2172/1331209
Institution: University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Language: English
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: U.S. Department of Energy
OpenAlex ID: W2619366530