Impedimetric investigation of dual electrical properties of reduced graphene-oxide-based biosensors in the detection of dopamine.

Because of the properties of high charge mobility, large detection area and chemical stability of graphene, it has been applied in many biomedical applications. Graphene oxide (GO) with abundant oxygenated functional groups is easily to form an aqueous suspension by sonication. Here, the exposed areas on the patterned-circuit silicon-based chips were first modified by (3-aminopropyl) trimethoxysilane (APTMS) for later chemically immobilized GO.

Broadband Omnidirectional Light Trapping in Gold-Decorated ZnO Nanopillar Arrays.

The photoluminescence (PL) and reflectivity characteristics of zinc oxide nanopillars (ZnO-NPs) grown on indium-tin-oxide (ITO)-coated glasses were investigated. The room temperature PL showed bright white-light emission for the undoped ZnO-NPs grown at 600 °C, suggesting the close relation between the optical characteristic and the growth conditions being carried out for obtaining the present ZnO-NPs. The reflectivity of the as-grown ZnO-NPs array was about ∼29% with the wavelength of the incident light ranging from 200 to 1800 nm.

Non-Faradaic electrical impedimetric investigation of the interfacial effects of neuronal cell growth and differentiation on silicon nanowire transistors.

Silicon nanowire field-effect transistor (SiNW FET) devices have been interfaced with cells; however, their application for noninvasive, real-time monitoring of interfacial effects during cell growth and differentiation on SiNW has not been fully explored. Here, we cultured rat adrenal pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells, a type of neural progenitor cell, directly on SiNW FET devices to monitor cell adhesion during growth and morphological changes during neuronal differentiation for a period of 5-7 d. Monitoring was performed by measuring the non-Faradaic electrical impedance of the cell-SiNW FET system using a precision LCR meter.

Investigation into the effect of varied functional biointerfaces on silicon nanowire MOSFETs.

A biocompatible and functional interface can improve the sensitivity of bioelectronics. Here, 3-aminopropyl trimethoxysilane (APTMS) and 3-mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane (MPTMS) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were independently modified on the surface of silicon nanowire metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (NW-MOSFETs). Those SAMs-modified silicon NW-MOSFETs were used to discriminate various pH solutions and further verify which modified regime was capable of providing better electrical signals.

Field emission properties of gold nanoparticle-decorated ZnO nanopillars.

The structural and optoelectronic properties of ZnO nanopillars (ZnO-NPs) grown on Si substrates by the vapor transport deposition method were investigated. In particular, by varying the deposition duration and hence the morphology of the vertically aligned ZnO-NPs, the resultant field emission characteristics were systematically compared. In addition to identifying the advantageous field emission properties exhibited in the pencil-like ZnO-NPs, we observed that by adhering Au nanoparticles on the surface of the ZnO-NPs the turn-on field and the maximum current density can be drastically improved from 3.