Robust and multifunctional nanosheath for chemical and biological nanodevices.

Ra, Hyun-Wook; Kim, Jin-Tae; Khan, Rizwan; Sharma, Deepti; Yook, Yeong-Geun; Hahn, Yoon-Bong; Park, Jin-Ho; Kim, Dae-Ghon et al. · Nano Lett · 2012

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

The contribution of advanced nanoscale chemical and biological devices to life science has been limited to a small number of nanomaterials, due to the absence of effective surface modification routes. Herein, we demonstrate a polymer-like nanosheath synthesized by nonthermal plasma technology (NPT) that can protect the core nanomaterial from the solution environment and provide a multifunctional platform for chemical and biological nanosensors. For ZnO nanowires (NWs) which are unstable in solution, we demonstrate that this nanosheath makes it possible for ZnO NW field-effect transistors to act as a pH sensor for 24 h and a biosensor for the real-time, label-free detection of liver cancer markers.

Medical subject headings