title: Stacked graphene-Al2O3 nanopore sensors for sensitive detection of DNA and DNA-protein complexes.
abstract: We report the development of a multilayered graphene-Al(2)O(3) nanopore platform for the sensitive detection of DNA and DNA-protein complexes. Graphene-Al(2)O(3) nanolaminate membranes are formed by sequentially depositing layers of graphene and Al(2)O(3), with nanopores being formed in these membranes using an electron-beam sculpting process. The resulting nanopores are highly robust, exhibit low electrical noise (significantly lower than nanopores in pure graphene), are highly sensitive to electrolyte pH at low KCl concentrations (attributed to the high buffer capacity of Al(2)O(3)), and permit the electrical biasing of the embedded graphene electrode, thereby allowing for three terminal nanopore measurements. In proof-of-principle biomolecule sensing experiments, the folded and unfolded transport of single DNA molecules and RecA-coated DNA complexes could be discerned with high temporal resolution. The process described here also enables nanopore integration with new graphene-based structures, including nanoribbons and nanogaps, for single-molecule DNA sequencing and medical diagnostic applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: Bala Murali
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Venkatesan
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Estrada
authors.forename: Shouvik
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.forename: Xiaozhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Vincent E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Dorgan
authors.forename: Myung-Ho
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Narayana R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Aluru
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pop
authors.forename: Rashid
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bashir
mesh_terms: D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation; D003217:Conductometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010316:Particle Size; D016062:Porosity
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006108:Graphite; D004247:DNA; D000537:Aluminum Oxide