Toward quantifying the electrostatic transduction mechanism in carbon nanotube molecular sensors

Despite the great promise of carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (CNT FETs) for applications in chemical and biochemical detection, a quantitative understanding of sensor responses is lacking. To explore the role of electrostatics in sensor transduction, experiments were conducted with a set of highly similar compounds designed to adsorb onto the CNT FET via a pyrene linker group and take on a set of known charge states under ambient conditions. Acidic and basic species were observed to induce threshold voltage shifts of opposite sign, consistent with gating of the CNT FET by local charges due to protonation or deprotonation of the pyrene compounds by interfacial water. The magnitude of the gate voltage shift was controlled by the distance between the charged group and the CNT. Additionally, functionalization with an uncharged pyrene compound showed a threshold shift ascribed to its molecular dipole moment. This work illustrates a method for producing CNT FETs with controlled values of the turnoff gate voltage, and more generally, these results will inform the development of quantitative models for the response of CNT FET chemical and biochemical sensors.     

Interactions between single-walled carbon nanotubes and lysozyme

Dispersions of single-walled and non-associated carbon nanotubes in aqueous lysozyme solution were investigated by analyzing the stabilizing effect of both protein concentration and pH. It was inferred that the medium pH, which significantly modifies the protein net charge and (presumably) conformation, modulates the mutual interactions with carbon nanotubes. At fixed pH, in addition, the formation of protein/nanotube complexes scales with increasing lysozyme concentration. Electrophoretic mobility, dielectric relaxation and circular dichroism were used to determine the above features. According to circular dichroism, lysozyme adsorbed onto nanotubes could essentially retain its native conformation, but the significant amount of free protein does not allow drawing definitive conclusions on this regard. The state of charge and charge distribution around nanotubes was inferred by combining electrophoretic mobility and dielectric relaxation methods. The former gives information on changes in the surface charge density of the complexes, the latter on modifications in the electrical double layer thickness around them. Such results are complementary each other and univocally indicate that some LYS molecules take part to binding. Above a critical protein/nanotube mass ratio, depletion phenomena were observed. They counteract the stabilization mechanism, with subsequent nanotube/nanotube aggregation and phase separation. Protein-based depletion phenomena are similar to formerly reported effects, observed in aqueous surfactant systems containing carbon nanotubes.     

Bias-stress effects in organic field-effect transistors based on self-assembled monolayer nanodielectrics

The electrical stability of low-voltage organic transistors based on phosphonic acid self-assembled monolayer (SAM) dielectrics is investigated using four different semiconductors. The threshold voltage shift in these devices shows a stretched-exponential time dependence under continuous gate bias with a relaxation time in the range of 10(3)-10(5) s, at room temperature. Differences in the bias instability of transistors based on different self-assembled monolayers and organic semiconductors suggest that charge trapping into localized states in the semiconductor is not the only mechanism responsible for the observed instability. By applying 1-5 s long programming voltage pulses of 2-3 V in amplitude, a large reversible threshold voltage shift can be produced. The retention time of the programmed state was measured to be on the order of 30 h. The combination of low voltage operation and relatively long retention times makes these devices interesting for ultra-low power memory applications.     

Correlation between dielectric/organic interface properties and key electrical parameters in PPV-based OFETs

We report on the influence of the dielectric/organic interface properties on the electrical characteristics of field-effect transistors based on polyphenylenevinylene derivatives. Through a systematic investigation of the most common dielectric surface treatments, a direct correlation of their effect on the field-effect electrical parameters, such as charge carrier mobility, On/Off current ratio, threshold voltage, and current hysteresis, has been established. It is found that the presence of OH groups at the dielectric surface, already known to act as carrier traps for electrons, decreases the hole mobility whereas it does not substantially affect the other electrical characteristics. The treatment of silicon dioxide surfaces with gas phase molecules such as octadecyltrichlorosilane and hexamethyldisilazane leads to an improvement in hole mobility as well as to a decrease in current hysteresis. The effects of a dielectric polymer layer spin coated onto silicon dioxide substrates before deposition of the semiconductor polymer can be related not only to the OH groups density but also to the interaction between the dielectric and the semiconductor molecules. Specifically, the elimination of the OH groups produces the same effect observed with hexamethyldisilazane. The hole mobility values obtained with hexamethyldisilazane and polymer dielectrics are the highest reported to date for PPV-based field-effect transistors.     

TiO2纳米管阵列光电催化氧化处理氨氮废水

用电化学阳极氧化法制备了高度有序的钛基二氧化钛纳米管阵列薄膜。用场发射扫描电镜(FE-SEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)表征样品的形貌与晶型特征。以二氧化钛纳米管阵列为光阳极,石墨为对电极,测试了不同pH值和外加偏压条件下的光电流响应和光电催化氧化降解NH4Cl水溶液(以N计,100 mg·L-1)的效率。结果表明:所制备的TiO2纳米管阵列具有锐钛矿和金红石的混晶结构,且主要晶型为锐钛矿。光电流响应的强弱与光电催化氧化效率的高低相对应,降解氨氮废水的最佳条件为pH=11,偏压为1.0 V。     

多壁碳纳米管互连的单壁碳纳米管晶体管的频率特性

用多壁碳纳米管(MWCNTs)作为互连线制备出了单壁碳纳米管场效应晶体管(SWCNT FETs), 对比研究了用多壁碳纳米管作为互连线和用金属作为互连线的两种情况. 结果表明, 二者的直流(DC)性能基本一致, 而用多壁碳纳米管作为互连线的交流(AC)性能略优于用金属作为互连的情况. 交流测量表明, 至少在20 MHz的频率下, 多壁碳纳米管互连的单壁碳纳米管晶体管仍有很好的响应速率, 器件能够正常工作.     

Influence of AC Electric Field on Macroscopic Network of Carbon Nanotubes in Polystyrene

CVD‐grown multiwall carbon nanotubes are dispersed in styrene monomer. During the polymerization of styrene, an AC electric field is applied to induce the CNTs to align along the electric field line to form a macroscopic nanotube network in polystyrene matrix. The dielectrophoresis force and the electric field redistribution at the CNTs apexes are responsible for alignment of the CNTs as well as bonding between the CNTs. Parameters such as field strength and nanotube weight fraction are varied. The results indicate that the macroscopic CNTs alignment along electric field direction can be observed only if the AC voltage reaches or is higher than certain values, and the higher the electric field frequency is, the more uniformly the CNTs align along electric field direction. In addition, nanotube concentration also affects the alignment of CNTs. According to the results of this study, the CNTs will align into a developed network in polystyrene matrix under a proper combination of three parameters of the electric field voltage, frequency, and the CNTs concentration.     

双极性碳纳米管薄膜晶体管构建及电性能研究

本文用聚 (PFO-BT)分离的半导体碳纳米管作为有源层,通过气溶胶喷墨打印技术在刚性基体上构建出底栅结构的碳纳米管薄膜晶体管器件。用钛酸钡复合材料封装后,碳纳米管薄膜晶体管表现出很好的双极性、较高的开关比和零回滞特性,同时阈值电压能够控制在0 V附近。通过两个双极性薄膜晶体管连接而成的反相器表现出零回滞、高电压增益(V_dd=1.5 V时,其增益可达到35)和大噪声容限(V_dd=1 V时,最大噪声容限为0.44 V)。     

液栅型石墨烯场效应管的缓冲液浓度和pH响应特性

本文使用化学气相沉积（Chemical Vapor Deposition,CVD）石墨烯制作了高灵敏度、低噪声的液栅型石墨烯场效应管（Solution-Gated Graphene Field Effect Transistors,SGFETs）,并测试了该器件对磷酸盐缓冲液（Phosphate Buffered Saline,PBS）浓度和pH的响应特性. 随缓冲液浓度的增大,SGFETs转移特性曲线的最小电导点向左偏移,偏移量与溶液浓度的自然对数呈线性关系. 随pH的增大,其最小电导点向右偏移,偏移量与溶液pH呈线性关系. 该响应特性对石墨烯生化传感器排除外界影响因素有一定的指导作用.     

Floating-potential dielectrophoresis-controlled fabrication of single-carbon-nanotube transistors and their electrical properties

We present a floating-potential dielectrophoresis method used for the first time to achieve controlled alignment of an individual semiconducting or metallic single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) between two electrical contacts with high repeatability. This result is significantly different from previous reports, in which bundles of SWCNTs were aligned between electrode arrays by a conventional dielectrophoresis process where the results were only collected from the control electrode regions. In this study, our alignment focus is not only on the regions of the control electrodes but also on those of the floating electrodes. Our results indicate that bundles of carbon nanotubes along with impurities were first moved into the region between two control electrodes while individual nanotubes without impurities were straightened and aligned between two floating electrodes. The measurements for the back-gated nanotube transistors made by this method displayed an on-off ratio and transconductance of 10(5) and 0.3 microS, respectively. These output and transport properties are comparable with those of nanotube transistors made by other methods. Most importantly, the findings in this study show an effective way to separate individual nanotubes from bundles and impurities and advance the processes for site-selective fabrication of single-SWCNT transistors and related electrical devices.     

Adsorption of lysozyme on a hemodialysis sulfonated polyacrylonitrile membrane, with and without preadsorbed poly(ethyleneimine) on the external faces

We present the influence of pH, from pH 4 to 10, with a focus on the neutral range, on the adsorption of lysozyme (isoelectric point pI=11) on a sulphonated membrane and the same membrane pre-treated with poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI). We found a steep increase of the adsorbed amount above pH 6 in phosphate buffer. The adsorbed amount was about twice as low in Tris buffer, around the neutral pH. The difference between the two types of buffer is attributed to their different ionic composition. High interfacial concentration in phosphate buffer is especially linked to the phosphate divalent anions. In the presence of divalent sulphate anions, we measured the same level of interfacial concentration than with phosphate buffer. With the PEI pre-treated membrane, we observed, on the time scale of our experiments (15–20 h), similar adsorbed amounts than on the raw membrane, showing that the PEI layer does not constitute a true barrier to the penetration of lysozyme into the membrane core. However, its presence leads to a slower adsorption rate in a system where convection does not occur through the membrane.     

The relationship between threshold voltage and dipolar character of self-assembled monolayers in organic thin-film transistors

We report a quantitative study that describes and correlates the threshold voltage of low-voltage organic field-effect transistors with the molecular structure of self-assembled monolayer dielectrics. We have observed that the component of the dipole moment of such self-assembled molecules perpendicular to the surface correlates linearly with the threshold voltage shift in devices. The model was validated using three different organic semiconductors (pentacene, α,α'-dihexylsexithiophene, and fullerene-C(60)) on six different self-assembled monolayers. The correlation found can help optimize future devices, by tuning the dipole moments of the molecules that constitute the self-assembled monolayer.     

Electrical-field-induced structural change and charge transfer of lanthanide-salophen complexes assembled on carbon nanotube field effect transistor devices

The application of a negative gate voltage on a carbon nanotube field effect transistor decorated by a binuclear Tb(iii) complex leads to the generation of a negatively charged mononuclear one, presenting an electron density transfer to the nanotube and ambipolar behaviour.     

Silicon nanowire ion sensitive field effect transistor with integrated Ag/AgCl electrode: pH sensing and noise characteristics

We have fabricated Si nanowire (SiNW) based ion-sensitive field effect transistors (ISFETs) for biosensing applications. The ability to prepare a large number of sensors on a wafer, the use of standard silicon microfabrication techniques resulting in cost savings, and potential high sensitivity are significant advantages in favor of nanoscale SiNW ISFETs. The SiNW ISFETs with embedded Ag/AgCl reference electrode were fabricated on a standard silicon-on-insulator wafer using electron-beam lithography and conventional semiconductor processing technology. The current-voltage characteristics show an n-type FET behavior with a relatively high on/off current ratio, reasonable sub-threshold swing value, and low gate-leakage current. The pH responses of the ISFETs with different pH solutions were characterized at room temperature which showed a clear lateral shift of the drain current vs. gate voltage curve with a change in the pH value of the solution and a sensitivity of 40 mV pH(-1). The low frequency noise characteristics were investigated to evaluate the signal to noise ratio and sensing limit of the devices.     

Spectral characteristics of 2-amino-3-benzyloxy pyridine: Effects of solvents,pH, and β-cyclodextrin

Spectral characteristics of 2-amino-3-benzyloxypyridine (2ABP) has been studied in solvents of different polarity, pH, and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and compared with 2-amino pyridine (2AP). The inclusion complex of both amino pyridine (AP) molecules with β-CD are analysed by UV-visible, fluorimetry, FTIR, ¹H NMR, SEM and AM1 methods. The solvent studies shows no significant shift observed in absorption maxima between both AP molecules, but in the excited state a slight red shift is noticed in 2ABP than in 2AP which indicates that the addition of benzyloxy group in 2AP does not effectively increase the resonance interaction in 2ABP. The regular red shift observed in acidic pH solutions suggests intramolecular proton transfer (IPT) interaction in both molecules. β-CD studies shows that in pH ∼7, 2ABP forms 1: 2 inclusion complex from 1: 1 inclusion complex and 1: 1 inclusion complex is formed in pH ∼ 1. In pH ∼ 7, a red shift observed in 2ABP with lower β-CD concentration suggests aromatic ring encapsulated in the β-CD cavity and blue shift noticed at higher β-CD concentrations indicates pyridine ring encapsulated in the β-CD cavity.     

TiO_2纳米管阵列薄膜制备及生长机理的研究

本论文采用阳极氧化的方法,在NH4HF2+NH4H2PO4的混合水溶液中于室温下以金属钛为基体原位合成氧化钛纳米管阵列薄膜。讨论了电解液成分、外加电压、溶液的pH值对氧化钛纳米管阵列薄膜微观结构及形貌的影响,并建立了阳极氧化钛纳米管阵列薄膜的生长模型。氧化钛纳米管的结构与外加电压有很大的关系,只有电压在5～35V范围内才能制备出二氧化钛纳米管阵列薄膜,其管径随着电压的升高而增加,且管径范围为30～160nm。而薄膜的厚度与电解液有关,通过控制电解液的成分及pH值,可获得厚度为6.5μm的氧化钛纳米管阵列薄膜。     

Electrochemical Determination of Hydrogen Peroxide and Glucose by Titanium(IV) Oxide Nanotube Arrays

Titanium(IV) oxide nanotube arrays (TiO₂) prepared by electrochemical oxidation were used as a sensor for the catalytic reduction of hydrogen peroxide. The effects of pH, applied voltage, interferences, and linear dynamic range were characterized. The electrode showed rapid response and a linear dynamic range from 5.0 micromolar to 12.0 millimolar in phosphate buffer at pH 6.5 at a working voltage of ?0.8 volt. The maximum sensitivity was 474 milliamperes per molar per square centimeter with good reproducibility and reusability. The electrode was also employed for the electrochemical determination of glucose without a mediator by the immobilization of glucose oxidase on the electroactive surface. The resulting biosensor exhibited good activity and rapid response toward glucose and allowed the determination of glucose from 20 micromolar to 1 millimolar and 1–10 millimolar.     

An investigation of the mechanisms of electronic sensing of protein adsorption on carbon nanotube devices

It has been reported that protein adsorption on single-walled carbon nanotube field effect transistors (FETs) leads to appreciable changes in the electrical conductance of the devices, a phenomenon that can be exploited for label-free detection of biomolecules with a high potential for miniaturization. This work presents an elucidation of the electronic biosensing mechanisms with a newly developed microarray of nanotube "micromat" sensors. Chemical functionalization schemes are devised to block selected components of the devices from protein adsorption, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of methoxy(poly(ethylene glycol))thiol (mPEG-SH) on the metal electrodes (Au, Pd) and PEG-containing surfactants on the nanotubes. Extensive characterization reveals that electronic effects occurring at the metal-nanotube contacts due to protein adsorption constitute a more significant contribution to the electronic biosensing signal than adsorption solely along the exposed lengths of the nanotubes.     

Autophosphorylation, electrophoretic mobility and immunoreaction of oat phototropin 1 under UV and blue Light

Phototropins are UV-A/blue light photoreceptors containing two flavin mononucleotide (FMN)-binding domains, light, oxygen and voltage (LOV)1 and LOV2, of which LOV2 is more sensitive toward light and more important for the physiological response compared with LOV1. Some physiological responses are plant phototropism, chloroplast migration and stomatal opening. Oat phototropin 1 together with light-dependent autophosphorylation shows a reduced electrophoretic mobility and reduced immunoreaction against a heterologous antiserum; both effects were suggested to be caused by phosphorylation at the same sites (M. Salomon, E. Knieb, T. von Zeppelin and W. Rudiger [2003] Biochemistry 42, 4217-4225). In this study, we show that both effects can be separated from each other: at low temperature, reduced immunoreaction preceded the mobility shift, and irradiation with UV-C light led to the mobility shift without the loss of immunoreactivity. We demonstrated that UV-C light at 280 nm, which does not match any absorption maximum of FMN, leads to autophosphorylation of phototropin. It is hypothesized that UV-C light causes differential activation of the LOV domains via energy transfer from aromatic amino acids.     

The effect of pH,chloride ion and background electrolyte concentration on the SERS of acidified pyridine solutions

Surface enhanced Raman spectra of pyridine are reported as a function of pH, halide concentration and background electrolyte concentration. The assignments of pyridinium bands are given in the range 100–4000 cm^?1, and the low frequency band around 235 cm^?1 is discussed. It is found that to obtain a pyridinium spectrum, the presence of halide is necessary. Background electrolyte concentration does not affect the intensity of the pyridine spectrum but greatly affects that of pyridinium. On the basis of the dependence of the intensity of pyridinium on chloride and background electrolyte concentrations, pyridinium is considered not be directly adsorbed on the electrode surface but rather located in the diffuse double layer and associated with specifically adsorbed chloride to form an ion pair.The in-situ measurement of pH and the SERS of pyridine and pyridinium during a pH titration reveal a linear relation between surface pH and bulk pH. Specifically adsorbed chloride causes a decrease in the surface pH. This decrease is explained by a shift of the electrostatic potential at the outer Helmholtz plane caused by specific adsorption of chloride.