A Sensitive Molecular Detection Platform Based on Self-Assembled Conducting Polymer Nanojunctions in a Carbon Nanotube Network

在这项由分析和表面化学计划支持的研究中，何慧欣教授和她的团队寻求对导电聚合物/碳纳米管复合网络性能增强的基本机制的广泛了解，并开发高度增强的复合网络用于生物传感器应用，特别是多路化学战剂检测。通过利用核酸的显著化学，商业上可用的单壁碳纳米管(SWNTs)的表面化学和电子结构将被设计成有助于在复合材料中生产高导电性和高结晶性的界面导电聚合物。这种高质量的界面导电聚合物将作为一系列导电聚合物纳米结，进而调制复合网络中单壁碳纳米管之间的电子接触结。所学到的基础知识将导致开发一种新的分子检测平台，它将协同结合导电聚合物纳米结和碳纳米管网络的优点。导电聚合物纳米结的快速电导开关特性将使快速、灵敏、重要的选择性分子检测成为可能。碳纳米管具有优异的电子和力学性能，这将使导电聚合物纳米结具有化学和机械稳定性。碳纳米管网络的自组装能力将使纳米结的制备具有可伸缩性和低成本。本项目致力于研制一种符合国家利益的新型灵敏多路化学战剂探测系统。鉴于导电聚合物在众多分析平台中的广泛应用，拟议的活动将对卫生保健、国土安全、农业和食品工业的污染物、药物和病原体的痕量监测传感器的开发产生深远的科学和经济影响。该教育计划将把纳米科学工具和概念带给这个被称为美国最多元化校园的广泛学生。这项研究固有的跨学科性质将培养出在纳米技术、表面化学和分子传感方面接受过特殊培训的学生。为本科生和高中生设计的研究活动将促进更多有天赋的少数族裔学生进入纳米科学行列。对纽瓦克地区的广泛宣传将提高公众对纳米科学对技术影响的认识。纽瓦克地区是一个少数民族占主导地位的地区。

In this research supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, Professor Huixin He and her group seek an extensive understanding of the fundamental mechanism of performance enhancement in a conducting polymer/carbon nanotube composite network, and exploit the highly enhanced composite networks for biosensor applications, especially for multiplex chemical warfare agent detections. By exploiting the salient chemistry of nucleic acids, the surface chemistry and electronic structures of commercially available single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) will be engineered to facilitate the production of highly conductive and highly crystallized interfacial conducting polymers in the composite. The high quality interfacial conducting polymer, will act as an array of conducting polymer nanojunctions, and in turn, modulate the electronic contact junctions between the SWNTs in the composite network. The fundamental knowledge learned will lead to the development of a new molecular detection platform, which will synergistically combine the merits of conducting polymer nanojunctions and carbon nanotube networks. The fast conductance-switch property of the conducting polymer nanojunctions will allow rapid, sensitive, and importantly, selective molecular detection. The remarkable electronic and mechanic properties of carbon nanotubes will confer the conducting polymer nanojunctions with chemical and mechanical stability. The self-assembling capability of the carbon nanotube networks will make the nanojunction fabrication scalable and low cost. This project focuses on development of a novel sensitive multiplex chemical warfare agent detection system, which is of national interest. Given the widespread applications of conducting polymers in numerous analytical platforms, the proposed activities will have far reaching scientific and economic impacts on sensor development of trace-level monitoring of pollutants, drugs, and pathogenic bacteria for health care, homeland security, agriculture, and food industries. The educational plan will bring nanoscience tools and concepts to a wide range of students on a campus known as the most diverse in the nation. The inherently interdisciplinary nature of this research will produce students with exceptional training in nanotechnology, surface chemistry, and molecular sensing. Research activities designed for undergraduates, and high school students will promote more gifted minority students into the nanoscience ranks. Extensive outreach to the Newark area, a minority-dominated region, will raise the public awareness of the impact of nanoscience on technology.