EFRI 2-DARE: Two-dimensional nanopores with electro-optical control for next generation biotechnological applications

二维纳米孔可以通过记录分子穿过纳米孔时离子电流和光子发射的变化来对DNA分子进行排序。将研究亚纳米厚膜中纳米孔的电学和光学性质，目的是了解纳米孔与纳米生物材料(如DNA、蛋白质和病毒)以及非生物材料(如纳米颗粒和纳米棒形状的金属)的相互作用。利用多种技术的组合，纳米孔的大小和成分将进行专门的调整，以优化对特定分析物的灵敏度。独立的二维原子薄膜中的超薄孔预计将产生最佳的光学和电学信号，当特定的纳米粒子通过纳米孔时，这些信号将对它们进行指纹识别。拟议的研究将促进不同领域的知识和理解，并为国家工程院的一些重大挑战做出贡献，包括工程科学发现的工具，以及工程更好的药物和先进的卫生信息学。社会影响包括改善未被充分代表的学生在工程和科学方面的留存，让K-12学生接触最先进的工程和科学技术，促进妇女参与物理，以及培训学生在生物、材料科学和物理的交汇点上为技术挑战做出终身贡献。石墨烯以外的二维材料，如过渡金属二卤化物，具有激动人心的光学、催化、电学和化学性质。当这些层包含扩展的空位并形成纳米级纳米孔时，新的和前所未有的物理化学现象有望出现。与其他固态纳米孔相比，这些新型二维材料在纳米颗粒检测、过滤(分离)和分析方面的优势包括提高信噪比的潜力，在高带宽(即亚微秒时间分辨率)下运行的潜力，以及纳米孔周长可以被赋予特定的和潜在的可逆的边缘/表面功能的前景。例如，纳米孔的光学活化和特定的化学功能化打开了增强控制粒子-S移位率的可能性。该项目的目标将是：i)二维材料同质/异质结构中纳米孔的受控合成和表征；ii)DNA、蛋白质和细菌在特定光学波长和光功率下的捕获、碎裂和移位；iii)激光诱导的纳米孔激活以可逆地控制易位动力学以及用于监测易位事件的天然纳米孔荧光信号；iv)制造用于DNA、生物关节分析和纳米颗粒量化的原型移位平台，以及v)利用设计的边缘功能来阐明纳米孔的捕获/移位机制。

Two-dimensional nanopores can be used to sequence DNA molecules by recording the variations in ionic current and photon emission as the molecules thread through the nanopore. The electronic and optical properties of nanopores in sub-nanometer thick films will be investigated with the goals to understand the nanopore interaction with nanometer-sized biological materials, such as DNA, proteins, and viruses, as well as non-biological materials, such as nanoparticles and nanorod-shaped metals. Using a combination of techniques, the nanopore size and composition will be specifically tuned to optimize sensitivity to a particular analyte. Ultrathin pores in freestanding two-dimensional atomically thin membranes are expected to yield optimal optical and electrical signals that will fingerprint specific nanoparticles as they move through the nanopore. The proposed research will advance knowledge and understanding across different fields and contribute to a number of National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges, including Engineering the Tools of Scientific Discovery, and Engineering Better Medicines and Advance Health Informatics. Societal impacts include improvement of underrepresented student retention in engineering and science, exposure of K-12 students to state-of-the-art techniques in engineering and science, promoting the participation of women in physics, and training students to make lifelong contributions to technology challenges at the interface of biology, materials science and physics. Two-dimensional materials beyond graphene, such as transition metal dichalcogenides, possess exciting optical, catalytic, electronic and chemical properties. When these layers contain extended vacancies and form nanoscale nanopores, new and unprecedented physicochemical phenomena are expected. Compared to other solid state nanopores, the benefits of these novel two-dimensional materials in nanoparticle detection, filtration (separation) and analysis, include the potential for improved signal-to-noise ratio, operation at high bandwidths (i.e., sub-microsecond temporal resolution), and the prospect that nanopore perimeters can be bestowed with specific, and potentially reversible, edge/surface functionalities. For example, the optical activation and specific chemical functionalization of nanopores opens the possibility of enhanced control of the particle?s translocation rates. The project will target i) the controlled synthesis and characterization of nanopores in homo/heterostructures of two-dimensional materials, ii) the trapping, fragmentation and translocation of DNA, proteins, and bacteria at specific optical wavelengths and optical powers, iii) laser-induced nanopore activation to reversibly control translocation dynamics as well as the native nanopore fluorescence signal to monitor translocation events, iv) the fabrication of prototype translocation platforms for DNA, bioparticulate analysis, and nanoparticle quantification, and v) the elucidation of the trapping/translocation mechanisms for nanopores with designed edge functionalities.