High-performance integrated field-effect transistor-based sensors

Field-effect transistors (FETs) have succeeded in modern electronics in an era of computers and hand-held applications. Currently, considerable attention has been paid to direct electrical measurements, which work by monitoring changes in intrinsic electrical properties. Further, FET-based sensing systems drastically reduce cost, are compatible with CMOS technology, and ease down-stream applications. Current technologies for sensing applications rely on time-consuming strategies and processes and can only be performed under recommended conditions. To overcome these obstacles, an overview is presented here in which we specifically focus on high-performance FET-based sensor integration with nano-sized materials, which requires understanding the interaction of surface materials with the surrounding environment. Therefore, we present strategies, material depositions, device structures and other characteristics involved in FET-based devices. Special attention was given to silicon and polyaniline nanowires and graphene, which have attracted much interest due to their remarkable properties in sensing applications.     

Development of an autonomous detector for sensing of nerve agents based on functionalized silicon nanowire field-effect transistors

The ability to detect minute traces of chemical warfare agents is mandatory both for military forces and homeland security. Various detectors based on different technologies are available but still suffer from serious drawbacks such as false positives. There is still a need for the development of innovative reliable sensors, in particular for organophosphorus nerve agents like Sarin.We report herein on the fabrication of a portable, battery-operated, microprocessor-based prototype sensor system relying on silicon nanowire field-effect transistors for the detection of nerve agents. A fast, supersensitive and highly selective detection of organophosphorus molecules is reported. The results show also high selectivity in complex mixtures and on contaminated materials.     

Nanoscale organic and polymeric field-effect transistors as chemical sensors

This article reviews recently published work concerning improved understanding of, and advancements in, organic and polymer semiconductor vapor-phase chemical sensing. Thin-film transistor sensors ranging in size from hundreds of microns down to a few nanometers are discussed, with comparisons made of sensing responses recorded at these different channel-length scales. The vapor-sensing behavior of nanoscale organic transistors is different from that of large-scale devices, because electrical transport in a nanoscale organic thin-film transistor depends on its morphological structure and interface properties (for example injection barrier) which could be modulated by delivery of analyte. Materials used in nanoscale devices, for example nanoparticles, nanotubes, and nanowires, are also briefly summarized in an attempt to introduce other relevant nano-transducers.      

Tripeptide-modified silicon nanowire based field-effect transistors as real-time copper ion sensors

A highly sensitive and specific copper ion sensor using single crystalline silicon nanowires (SiNWs) configured as field-effect transistors (FETs) is reported. The surface of SiNWs is functionalized with a His-containing tripeptide which serves as a copper sensitive layer. It is found that the complexation between copper ions and His-containing tripeptides leads to an increase in the SiNW conductance, and the position of His residue in the tripeptide plays an important role for the binding of copper ions. Only Gly-Gly-His-modified SiNWs exhibit selectivity for copper ions in the presence of zinc ions whereas Gly-His-Gly-modified SiNWs do not. Our experimental results demonstrate the potential utility of oligopeptide-modified SiNWs as metal ion sensors.     

Reversible chemical switches of functionalized nitrogen-doped graphene field-effect transistors

Nitrogen doping is a promising way to modulate the electrical properties of graphene to realize graphene-based electronics and promise fascinating properties and applications.Herein,we report a method to noncovalently assembly titanium(Ⅳ) bis(ammoniumlactato) dihydroxide(Ti complex) on nitrogen-doped graphene to create a reliable hybrids which can be used as a reversible chemical induced switching.As the adsorption and desorption of Ti complex in sequential treatments,the conductance of the nitrogen-doped graphene transistors was finely modulated.Control experiments with pristine graphene clearly demonstrated the important effort of the nitrogen in this chemical sensor.Under optimized conditions,nitrogen-doped graphene transistors open up new ways to develop multifunctional devices with high sensitivity.     

Carbon nanotube field-effect transistor detector associated to gas chromatography for speciation of benzene,toluene, ethylbenzene, (o-, m- and p-)xylene

An analytical methodology based on a field-effect transistor detector using carbon nanotubes (NTFET) coupled to a gas chromatograph has been developed for the speciation of the following aromatic compounds: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m-xylene, p-xylene and o-xylene (BTEX). This methodology combines the proven separation capability of gas chromatography (GC) with the potential for detection of a NTFET. The developed analyzer shows a high and stable analytical response upon repeated analysis of BTEX during 4 weeks, with detection limit less than 4 μg/L. The GC–NTFET system also shows a great suitability for actual monitoring of indoor atmospheres and no significant difference was observed between the results obtained by the developed analyzer and a more classical analytical methodology, namely gas chromatography–flame ionization detection (GC–FID).     

Tailoring crystal polymorphs of organic semiconductors towards high-performance field-effect transistors

As a quite ubiquitous phenomenon, crystal polymorph is one of the key issues in the field of organic semiconductors. This review gives a brief summary to the advances on polymorph control of thin film and single crystal of representative organic semiconductors towards high-performance field-effect transistors. Particularly, the relationship between crystal polymporh and charge transport behaviour has been discussed to shed light on the rational preparation of outstanding organic semiconducting materials with desired crystal polymorph.     

Chemical functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotube field-effect transistors as switches and sensors

Because of the one-dimensional (1D) nanostructural nature of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and their advantages of chemical flexibility and sensitivity arising from the susceptibility of their active surfaces to interacting species, great effort has been made to integrate carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (NTFETs) into functional optoelectronic devices capable of converting external stimuli to easily detectable electrical signals. In this Review article, we aim to capture recent advances of rational design and chemical functionalization of NTFETs for the purpose of switching or biosensing applications. To provide a deeper understanding of the device responses to analytes, this review will also survey the proposed sensing mechanisms. As demonstrated by these remarkable examples, the concept of combining the proper selection of functional molecular materials and molecular self-assembly with device micro/nanofabrication offers attractive new prospects for constructing NTFET-based molecular optoelectronic devices with desired functionalities.     

核酸适体功能化的二维材料场效应晶体管传感器研究进展

二维材料场效应晶体管传感器具有可调的电学性质和高的灵敏度, 非常适合用于构建高性能的传感器, 应用于疾病诊断和环境监测等领域. 核酸适体是一种生物识别分子, 具有特异性强、 稳定性高等优势. 近年来, 核酸适体功能化的二维材料场效应晶体管传感器在医疗诊断和环境监测等领域取得了显著的研究进展. 本文综合评述了核酸适体功能化的二维材料场效应晶体管传感器的最新研究进展, 对场效应晶体管传感器的结构及传感原理进行了概括, 详细介绍了二维材料的制备方法以及核酸适体功能化器件的设计原理. 在此基础上, 对核酸适体功能化的二维材料场效应晶体管传感器在疾病诊断和环境监测领域的应用进展进行了概述, 讨论了核酸适体功能化的二维材料场效应晶体管传感器面临的一些问题和挑战, 对其发展前景进行了展望.     

Recent trends in carbon nanomaterial-based electrochemical sensors for biomolecules: A review

Carbon nanomaterials are advantageous for electrochemical sensors because they increase the electroactive surface area, enhance electron transfer, and promote adsorption of molecules. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been incorporated into electrochemical sensors for biomolecules and strategies have included the traditional dip coating and drop casting methods, direct growth of CNTs on electrodes and the use of CNT fibers and yarns made exclusively of CNTs. Recent research has also focused on utilizing many new types of carbon nanomaterials beyond CNTs. Forms of graphene are now increasingly popular for sensors including reduced graphene oxide, carbon nanohorns, graphene nanofoams, graphene nanorods, and graphene nanoflowers. In this review, we compare different carbon nanomaterial strategies for creating electrochemical sensors for biomolecules. Analytes covered include neurotransmitters and neurochemicals, such as dopamine, ascorbic acid, and serotonin; hydrogen peroxide; proteins, such as biomarkers; and DNA. The review also addresses enzyme-based electrodes that are used to detect non-electroactive species such as glucose, alcohols, and proteins. Finally, we analyze some of the future directions for the field, pointing out gaps in fundamental understanding of electron transfer to carbon nanomaterials and the need for more practical implementation of sensors.     

Alignment and patterning of organic single crystals for field-effect transistors

Organic field-effect transistors are of great importance to electronic devices. With the emergence of various preparation techniques for organic semiconductor materials, the device performance has been improved remarkably. Among all of the organic materials, single crystals are potentially promising for high performances due to high purity and well-ordered molecular arrangement. Based on organic single crystals, alignment and patterning techniques are essential for practical industrial application of electronic devices. In this review, recently developed methods for crystal alignment and patterning are described.     

Porous metal oxides as gas sensors

Semiconducting metal oxides are frequently used as gas-sensing materials. Apart from large surface-to-volume ratios, well-defined and uniform pore structures are particularly desired for improved sensing performance. This article addresses the role of some key structural aspects in porous gas sensors, such as grain size and agglomeration, pore size or crack-free film morphology. New synthesis concepts, for example, the utilisation of rigid matrices for structure replication, allow to control these parameters independently, providing the opportunity to create self-diagnostic sensors with enhanced sensitivity and reproducible selectivity.     

Bio-field-effect transistors as detectors in flow-injection analysis

The development of enzyme-modified bio-field-effect transistors (BioFETs) for the determination of glucose, urea, penicillin G, penicillin V and cephalosporin C is reported. BioFETs are produced by covering the pH-sensitive gate areas of ion-selective field-effect transistors with enzyme membranes. The characteristics of the resulting BioFETs and the influence of several parameters, e.g., pH and buffer capacity, are described. The measuring range covers 1–2 orders of magnitude of substrate concentration, and the BioFETs are applicable for 3–12 weeks, depending on the enzyme. They show a short response time and are well suited for detection in flow systems. The frequency of determination with BioFETs in flow systems is high (15–20 measurements per hour). The application of a BioFET in on-line bioprocess control is described. A glucose oxidase FET monitors the glucose concentration during cultivation of Escherichia coli. The results correspond well with off-line liquid chromatographic determinations.     

Integrated electrochemical transistor as a fast recoverable gas sensor

A new design of conductometric chemical sensors based on conducting polymers as chemosensitive elements was suggested. The sensor includes six electrodes. Four inner electrodes coated by chemosensitive polymer are used for simultaneous two- and four-point resistance measurements thus providing information on the bulk polymer resistance and on the resistance of the polymer/electrode contacts. Two outer electrodes wired to inner electrodes by polymeric electrolyte are used for electrical control of redox state of the chemosensitive polymer. The outer electrodes are connected to potentiostat as reference and counter electrodes. It allows us to control redox state of the inner (working) electrodes. This new measurement configuration, resembling chemosensitive electrochemical transistors, provides an internal test of the sensor integrity and an electrically driven sensor regeneration. It was tested as a sensor for the detection of nitrogen dioxide. Polythiophene or polyaniline was used as receptors. Cyclic voltammograms of these polymers on the sensor surface measured in air atmosphere were very similar to that measured in aqueous electrolyte. A control of conductivity of these chemosensitive polymers by electrical potential applied vs. incorporated reference electrode was demonstrated. This effect was used for the regeneration of the chemosensitive material after exposure to nitrogen dioxide: in comparison to usual chemiresistors displaying an irreversible behavior in such test even in the time scale of hours, a completely reversible sensor regeneration within few minutes was observed.     

Tailoring and patterning of dielectric interfaces for the development of advanced organic field-effect transistors

The progress of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) has led to the advent of a new area of printed and/or flexible electronics. In organic transistors and circuits, the interface between a gate insulator (GI) and an organic semiconductor (OS) plays a critical role on the electrical performance together with the functionality, the reliability and the long-term stability. In this review, we describe the basic principles of engineering a variety of the GI/OS interfaces for the development of advanced OFETs from the framework of the surface morphology and the physico-chemical surface interactions. We also discuss the dielectric interface modification and the resultant device performance of the OFETs.     

New n-type semiconductor material based on styryl fullerene for organic field-effect transistors

Organic field-effect transistors with styryl fullerene as a semi conductor layer applied by centrifugation are considered. Electron mobility in the transistors was 0.067 ± 10% cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹, whereas the mobility of electrons in these devices after the vacuum deposition of a semiconductor layer was much lower (0.023 ± 10% cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹).     

Aptamers as molecular recognition elements for electrical nanobiosensors

Recent advances in nanotechnology have enabled the development of nanoscale sensors that outperform conventional biosensors. This review summarizes the nanoscale biosensors that use aptamers as molecular recognition elements. The advantages of aptamers over antibodies as sensors are highlighted. These advantages are especially apparent with electrical sensors such as electrochemical sensors or those using field-effect transistors. Figure Feeling proteins with aptamer-functionalized carbon nanotubes     

Highly responsive biosensors based on organic field-effect transistors under light irradiation

High responsivity and sensitivity play essential roles in the development of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs)-based biosensors with regard to biological detections, particularly for disease diagnosis. Nonetheless, how to design a biosensor which improves these two outstanding properties while achieving low cost, easy processing, and time saving is a daunting challenge. Herein, a novel biosensor based on OFET with copolymer thin film, whose surface is illuminated with a suitable light beam is reported. This film can be used as both an organic semiconductor material and as a photoelectric active material. Due to amplification of signals as a result of the film’s strong response to light, the biosensor possesses higher responsivity and sensitivity compared to dark condition and even realizes a maximum responsivity of up to 10³ for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) detection. The simple combination of light and transistor builds a bridge between photoelectric effect and biological system. In addition, the emergence of more excellent photoelectric active materials is expected to pave a way for ultrasensitive bio-chemical diagnostic tools.     

Detection of NO2 by hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene nanographene: A DFT study

It has been previously indicated that pristine graphene cannot detect NO₂ gas. Nanographene is a segment of graphene whose end atoms are saturated with hydrogen atoms and its properties are different from those of graphene. Herein, we investigated the reactivity, electronic sensitivity, and structural properties of hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene (HBC) nanographene toward NO₂ gas using density functional theory calculations. It was found that the central and peripheral rings of HBC are aromatic but the middle rings are non-aromatic, following Clar's sextet rule of aromaticity. The NO₂ molecule prefers to be adsorbed on the central ring with a nitro configuration, releasing an energy of about 13.2 kJ/mol. The NO₂ molecule significantly stabilizes the LUMO level of the HBC, thereby reducing the HOMO–LUMO energy gap from 3.60 to 1.35 eV. This indicates that the HBC is converted from a semiconductor to a semimetal. It was shown that the adsorption of NO₂ gas by HBC can produce an electrical signal selectively in the presence of O₂, H₂, N₂, CO₂, and H₂O gases. A short recovery time about 1.9 ns is predicted and the effect of density functional is investigated.     

Analysis of ambient ozone and precursor monitoring data in a densely populated residential area of Kuwait

Analysis of ozone (O₃) pollution in the Salmiyah residential area of Kuwait was conducted over a period of 12 months, from March 2008 to February 2009. Salmiyah is a densely populated area, mainly by expatriates. Apartment buildings are the dominant type of dwellings available in Salmiyah. The area is surrounded by major highways that get congested with traffic at peak hours of the day. The objectives of this work were: to monitor ambient tropospheric levels of O₃ and its precursors both for test comparing such levels to international standard limits and for assessing their health effects, to understand their diurnal behaviors, and to study their seasonal trends. The results of this study indicated that O₃, nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC) exceeded the ambient air quality standards during specific times of the year. The diurnal patterns for NO₂ and NMHC showed three peaks which were directly dependent on high traffic density, while only two daily maxima were observed in the case of O₃. Finally, O₃ compared to its precursors exhibited a completely opposite monthly mean distribution with the highest concentration levels detected during the summer season (July and August).