Nanosensors:Nanosensors: AA QuickQuick LookLook
GeraldGerald DykstraDykstra BuckmanBuckman LaboratoriesLaboratories NanosensorsNanosensors
¾¾ WhatWhat isis aa nanosensor?nanosensor? ¾¾ HowHow dodo theythey differdiffer fromfrom otherother sensors?sensors? ¾¾ WhatWhat cancan oror dodo theythey ““sensesense””?? ¾¾ WhatWhat isis anan activeactive sensorsensor vs.vs. aa passivepassive sensor?sensor? ¾¾ HowHow mightmight theythey bebe usefuluseful inin thethe pulppulp andand paperpaper industryindustry andand alliedallied industries?industries? WhatWhat isis aa nanosensor?nanosensor?
¾¾ ItIt cancan bebe aa sensorsensor thatthat isis itselfitself onon thethe nanoscalenanoscale ofof 1010 toto 100100 nanometers.nanometers. ¾¾ ItIt cancan bebe aa sensorsensor thatthat willwill detectdetect thethe presencepresence ofof nanomaterialsnanomaterials oror moleculesmolecules inin thatthat sizesize rangerange oror smaller.smaller. NanowireNanowire curledcurled intointo looploop inin frontfront ofof aa humanhuman hairhair ((nanowirenanowire isis aboutabout 50nm50nm inin width)width) Credit: Limin Tong, Harvard University HowHow isis aa nanosensornanosensor differentdifferent fromfrom conventionalconventional sensors?sensors? ¾ ConventionalConventional sensorssensors areare usuallyusually quitequite largelarge fromfrom handheldhandheld devicesdevices upup toto mountedmounted unitsunits thethe sizesize ofof aa smallsmall TVTV set.set. ¾ NanosensorsNanosensors willwill bebe muchmuch smaller,smaller, thethe sensorsensor couldcould bebe aa smallsmall testtest stripstrip ofof paperpaper oror filmfilm typetype ofof material.material. ¾ TheThe sensitivitysensitivity oror detectiondetection rangerange ofof nanosensorsnanosensors cancan rangerange downdown toto justjust aa fewfew moleculesmolecules ofof aa specificspecific inorganic,inorganic, organic,organic, oror biologicalbiological material.material. FluidFluid ChannelChannel NanosensorsNanosensors
¾ Manufacturing of fluidic boards for microanalysis or for bottom up nano engineering of delicate products (food, medicines). ¾ As the manufacturing technology using the phase separation molding in a roll-to-roll process, high volume and low costs are within reach. ¾ With molding features below 1µm, the active structures can be incorporated in the fluid channel board as well, making a product even smaller. Add the possibility of optical structures, microporous membranes and contact holes in the same device, the micro analysis system or nano production reactor is working. WhatWhat cancan aa nanosensornanosensor detect?detect?
¾¾ AA specificspecific gas,gas, hydrogenhydrogen sulfide,sulfide, ammonia,ammonia, warfarewarfare gases.gases. ¾¾ AA specificspecific organicorganic moleculemolecule suchsuch asas anan alcohol,alcohol, fattyfatty acid,acid, lipid,lipid, oror aminoamino acid.acid. ¾¾ BiologicallyBiologically activeactive materialsmaterials suchsuch asas ATPATP oror pathogen.pathogen. ¾¾ AA changechange inin pH,pH, temperature,temperature, conductivity,conductivity, oror moisture.moisture. UsingUsing nanoparticlesnanoparticles toto deliverdeliver drugsdrugs toto surfacesurface ofof abnormalabnormal cancerouscancerous cellscells
¾ Researchers can put different things on inside or outside of nanoparticles. ¾ Nanoparticles work like a bus that can safely deliver passengers to different destinations. ¾ To hit cancerous cells, nanoparticles are “decorated” with aptamers (tiny chunks of genetic material). ¾ Aptamers act like sensors with “homing devices” that recognize surface molecules on cancer cells and avoid normal cells. RecentRecent NanosensorNanosensor ArticlesArticles
¾ PolyPoly ((DecylDecyl methacrylatemethacrylate))--basedbased FluorescentFluorescent PEBBLEPEBBLE SwarmSwarm NanosensorsNanosensors forfor MeasuringMeasuring DissolvedDissolved OxygenOxygen inin BiosamplesBiosamples,, Y.Y. CaoCao,, Y.Y.-- E.E. KooKoo andand R.R. KopelmanKopelman,, Analyst,Analyst, 129129,, 745745--750750 (2004).(2004). ¾ DevelopmentDevelopment ofof aa HydroxylHydroxyl RadicalRadical RatiometricRatiometric NanoprobeNanoprobe,, M.M. KingKing andand R.R. KopelmanKopelman,, SensorsSensors andand ActuatorsActuators B:B: ChemicalChemical 90,90, 7676--8181 (2003).(2003). WhatWhat isis anan ““activeactive”” sensorsensor vs.vs. aa ““passivepassive”” sensor?sensor?
¾ AnAn activeactive nanosensornanosensor wouldwould havehave thethe abilityability toto sendsend aa signalsignal thatthat couldcould bebe receivedreceived remotely.remotely. ForFor example,example, anan embeddedembedded nanosensornanosensor inin aa stationarystationary positionposition inin aa waterwater reservoir,reservoir, lake,lake, oror streamstream couldcould detectdetect thethe presencepresence ofof aa dangerousdangerous pathogenpathogen andand sendsend aa signal.signal. ¾ AA passivepassive nanosensornanosensor wouldwould relyrely onon observationobservation ofof aa changechange inin color,color, opacity,opacity, oror fluorescence.fluorescence. BeamBeam ofof lightlight beingbeing wrappedwrapped aroundaround aa silicasilica nanowirenanowire Credit: Limin Tong, Harvard University HowHow mightmight nanosensorsnanosensors bebe usefuluseful inin thethe pulppulp && paperpaper industry??industry?? ¾ ProductionProduction ofof printableprintable sensorssensors onon specializedspecialized paperspapers couldcould provideprovide aa newnew marketmarket nicheniche forfor innovativeinnovative producers.producers. ¾ NanosensorsNanosensors couldcould detectdetect earlyearly changeschanges inin waterwater qualityquality fromfrom millmill outfallsoutfalls andand allowallow themthem toto respondrespond fasterfaster toto preventprevent problemsproblems withwith discharges.discharges. ¾ NanosensorsNanosensors embeddedembedded inin productionproduction processesprocesses couldcould givegive betterbetter feedbackfeedback forfor tightertighter controlcontrol ofof qualityquality specificationsspecifications forfor criticalcritical productionproduction stepssteps oror finalfinal productproduct qualityquality (moisture,(moisture, opacity,opacity, brightness,brightness, etc).etc). AreAre nanosensorsnanosensors herehere oror areare theythey ““sciencescience fictionfiction””?? ¾ NanosensorsNanosensors areare alreadyalready availableavailable andand manymany moremore sophisticatedsophisticated onesones areare beingbeing developed.developed. ¾ SensorsSensors forfor detectiondetection ofof certaincertain biologicalbiological materialsmaterials areare aa veryvery hothot area,area, particularlyparticularly thethe presencepresence ofof diseasedisease agents.agents. ¾ TheThe useuse ofof antibodiesantibodies andand enzymesenzymes givesgives truetrue nanosensingnanosensing capabilitiescapabilities sincesince thethe detectiondetection levelslevels areare downdown toto aa fewfew moleculesmolecules forfor somesome biologicalbiological markers.markers. ¾ DetectionDetection ofof oror aa changechange inin fluorescencefluorescence isis aa widelywidely usedused detectiondetection methodmethod forfor nanoscalenanoscale materials.materials. FutureFuture ofof NanosensorsNanosensors
¾¾ NanosensorNanosensor developmentdevelopment willwill bebe rapid.rapid. ¾¾ AlmostAlmost anyany applicationsapplications thatthat cancan bebe envisionedenvisioned willwill moremore thanthan likelylikely bebe reducedreduced toto practicepractice inin thethe nextnext tenten yearsyears oror less.less. ¾¾ ThereThere willwill likelylikely bebe aa shiftshift fromfrom veryvery specializedspecialized diagnosticdiagnostic (pharmaceutical)(pharmaceutical) usesuses toto moremore everydayeveryday usesuses (food(food displaydisplay quality,quality, airair andand waterwater qualityquality monitoring).monitoring). ThankThank You!You!