Abstract
We describe here a method for detecting the translocation of individual DNA molecules through nanopores created in graphene membranes. The devices consist of 1–5-nm thick graphene membranes with electron-beam sculpted nanopores from 5 to 10 nm in diameter. Due to the thin nature of the graphene membranes, and the reduced electrical resistance, we observe larger blocked currents than for traditional solid-state nanopores. We also show how ionic current noise levels can be reduced with the atomic-layer deposition of a few nanometers of titanium dioxide over the graphene surface. Unlike traditional solid-state nanopore materials that are insulating, graphene is an excellent electrical conductor, and its use opens the door to a new future class of nanopore devices in which electronic sensing and control is performed directly at the pore.
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Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Ken Healy, Meni Wanunu, and Vishva Ray for contributing to the experiment and analysis, as well as Neil Peterman and John Bartel. We thank Michael D. Fischbein and Kim Venta for developing graphene transfer methods. We thank Zhengtang Luo and A. T. Charlie Johnson for their assistance in CVD growth of graphene. This work was supported by NIH Grant R21HG004767 and by the JSTO DTRA and the Army Research Office Grant #W911NF-06-1-0462. This work was also supported in part by the Penn Genome Frontiers Institute, the Nanotechnology Institute of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and a grant with the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The Department of Health specifically disclaims responsibility for any analyses, interpretations, or conclusions. We acknowledge the use of facilities supported by the Nano/Bio Interface Center through the National Science Foundation NSEC DMR08-32802.
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Merchant, C.A., Drndić, M. (2012). Graphene Nanopore Devices for DNA Sensing. In: Gracheva, M. (eds) Nanopore-Based Technology. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 870. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-773-6_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-773-6_12
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