Autonomous Molecular Sensing with a Chemically Stateful Solid-State Nanopore.

Abstract

Nanopores provide a direct electrical interface to biomolecules, yet most operate as passive conduits whose sensing state is imposed externally. Here we report an autonomous solid-state nanopore in which voltage-driven precipitation and dissolution repeatedly create and erase transient conductive pathways under constant bias. This reaction cycle generates stochastic ionic spikes and converts the pore into a chemically stateful nanofluidic element whose conductance reflects recent history. As nucleotides and amino acids traverse these transient openings, they reshape the evolving pore state and produce distinct spike amplitudes, durations, and firing statistics. Learning these state-dependent fingerprints enables discrimination of four nucleotides, quantitative readout of mixed populations, and extension to seven amino acids without active gating. Our results reposition the solid-state nanopore as a reaction-programmed molecular interface that integrates sensing, memory, and signal generation within chemically dynamic nanoscale environments for molecular analytics and iontronic information processing.