BACKGROUND:  Conducting polymer nanowires are promising materials for nanoelectronic devices and chemo- and biosensors. Several methods exist to produce nanowires for sensing. These involve carbon nanotubes, silicon nanowires and polymerization of large arrays of oriented polyaniline nanowires. However, limitations with these sensors create a need for nanowires that can be easily adapted for the detection of diverse, biologically significant information.

INNOVATION:  UCLA inventors have developed a series of highly sensitive sensor arrays by introducing electrochemically fabricated conducting polymer nanowires into lithographically patterned solid state devices. Unlike carbon nanotubes and silicon nanowires, these nanowires are polymerized from small organic fragments, allowing for the covalent attachment of bioreceptors. Different nanosensors can be integrated into a sensor array to pursue real-time, high-throughput, highly specific and ultra-sensitive detection of a variety of information, e.g. pH values, ion concentrations and genes and proteins.

These nanowires have been demonstrated to detect gases, organic vapors, saccharides, and DNA at extremely low concentrations (nanomolar and femtomolar levels). More recently, protein sensors have been developed for cancer marker proteins by covalently attaching cancer-specific antibodies to the nanowires.

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS 

• This technology may form the basis of portable, miniaturized, ultra-sensitive diagnostic devices
• Real-time detection of pH values, ion concentrations, nucleic acids and proteins.

ADVANTAGES

• Proteins, such as antibodies or other ligands, can be covalently attached to the nanowire without affecting its conductance.
• Bioreceptors can be covalently attached via C-N and C-S bond formation
• The production of these nanowires is scalable

Related Papers (Selected)

Chem Commun (Camb). 2006 Aug 7;(29):3075-7 : Electrochemical fabrication of conducting polymer nanowires in an integrated microfluidic system. more...

Reference: UCLA Case No. 2005-137

PCT Number: US05/036671