Redox current amplification has been demonstrated using carbon interdigitated array (IDA) nanoelectrodes derived from precursor polymer microstructures through conventional photolithography and pyrolysis. This simple conversion process, also known as carbon-microelectromechanical systems, enables nanometer-level fabrication of carbon materials in a reproducible and an economic manner. We demonstrated that with carbon IDA nanoelectrodes fabricated in two mask processes a current amplification factor of 25 can be obtained. This high amplification factor is a result of the efficient recycling of redox species between the 1:1 aspect ratio carbon nanoelectrodes. This type of a current amplification value is hard to obtain when using more traditional flat nanometer level spaced noble metal IDA electrodes fabricated with more expensive nanopatterning processes such as E-beam lithography.

We developed a versatile and highly sensitive biosensor platform. The platform is based on electrochemical-enzymatic redox cycling induced by selective enzyme immobilization on nano-sized carbon interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) decorated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Without resorting to sophisticated nanofabrication technologies, we used batch wafer-level carbon microelectromechanical systems (C-MEMS) processes to fabricate 3D carbon IDEs reproducibly, simply, and cost effectively. In addition, AuNPs were selectively electrodeposited on specific carbon nanoelectrodes; the high surface-to-volume ratio and fast electron transfer ability of AuNPs enhanced the electrochemical signal across these carbon IDEs. Gold nanoparticle characteristics such as size and morphology were reproducibly controlled by modulating the step-potential and time period in the electrodeposition processes. To detect cholesterol selectively using AuNP/carbon IDEs, cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) was selectively immobilized via the electrochemical reduction of the diazonium cation. The sensitivity of the AuNP/carbon IDE-based biosensor was ensured by efficient amplification of the redox mediators, ferricyanide and ferrocyanide, between selectively immobilized enzyme sites and both of the combs of AuNP/carbon IDEs. The presented AuNP/carbon IDE-based cholesterol biosensor exhibited a wide sensing range (0.005–10 mM) and high sensitivity (~993.91 µA mM⁻¹ cm⁻²; limit of detection (LOD) ~1.28 µM). In addition, the proposed cholesterol biosensor was found to be highly selective for the cholesterol detection.

Thermoplastics have become attractive alternatives to glass/quartz for microfluidics, but the realization of thermoplastic nanofluidic devices has been slow in spite of the rather simple fabrication techniques that can be used to produce these devices. This slow transition has in part been attributed to insufficient understanding of surface charge effects on the transport properties of single molecules through thermoplastic nanochannels. We report the surface modification of thermoplastic nanochannels and an assessment of the associated surface charge density, zeta potential and electroosmotic flow (EOF). Mixed-scale fluidic networks were fabricated in poly(methylmethacrylate), PMMA. Oxygen plasma was used to generate surface-confined carboxylic acids with devices assembled using low temperature fusion bonding. Amination of the carboxylated surfaces using ethylenediamine (EDA) was accomplished via EDC coupling. XPS and ATR-FTIR revealed the presence of carboxyl and amine groups on the appropriately prepared surfaces. A modified conductance equation for nanochannels was developed to determine their surface conductance and was found to be in good agreement with our experimental results. The measured surface charge density and zeta potential of these devices were lower than glass nanofluidic devices and dependent on the surface modification adopted, as well as the size of the channel. This property, coupled to an apparent increase in fluid viscosity due to nanoconfinement, contributed to the suppression of the EOF in PMMA nanofluidic devices by an order of magnitude compared to the micro-scale devices. Carboxylated PMMA nanochannels were efficient for the transport and elongation of λ-DNA while these same DNA molecules were unable to translocate through aminated nanochannels.

With the development of nanomaterial-based nanodevices, it became inevitable to develop cost-effective and simple nanofabrication technologies enabling the formation of nanomaterial assembly in a controllable manner. Herein, we present suspended monolithic carbon single nanowires and nanomeshes bridging two bulk carbon posts, fabricated in a designed manner using two successive UV exposure steps and a single pyrolysis step. The pyrolysis step is accompanied with a significant volume reduction, resulting in the shrinkage of micro-sized photoresist structures into nanoscale carbon structures. Even with the significant elongation of the suspended carbon nanowire induced by the volume reduction of the bulk carbon posts, the resultant tensional stress along the nanowire is not significant but grows along the wire thickness; this tensional stress gradient and the bent supports of the bridge-like carbon nanowire enhance structural robustness and alleviate the stiction problem that suspended nanostructures frequently experience. The feasibility of the suspended carbon nanostructures as a sensor platform was demonstrated by testing its electrochemical behavior, conductivity-temperature relationship, and hydrogen gas sensing capability.

Facile synthesis of zero-dimensional heterostructures consisting of N-doped graphene quantum dots (N-GDs) and SnO₂ nanoparticles is reported for the NO₂ gas sensor with high sensitivity and excellent selectivity.