The objective of this study was to demonstrate the possibility of using 1-butanol to reliably detect the open-pore current of pyramidal solid-state nanopores produced in silicon wafers. The nanopores were produced through controlled pore formation by neutralizing an etchant (KOH) with a strong acid (HCl). Since nanopores produced by this method are deeper than those made in nanometerthick membr...

It has recently been recognized that solid-state nanopores in single-atomic-layer graphene membranes can be used to electronically detect and characterize single long charged polymer molecules. We have now fabricated nanopores in single-layer graphene that are closely matched to the diameter of a double-stranded DNA molecule. Ionic current signals during electrophoretically driven translocation...

The gas transport in shale nanopores is always one of the major concerns in terms of the development of shale gas reservoirs. In this study, the gas flow regimes in shale nanopores were classified and analyzed according to Knudsen number. Then the gas flow model considering Darcy flow, slip flow, transition flow, molecular free flow and adsorption effect was proposed to evaluate the gas flow be...

Nanopores in graphene membranes can potentially offer unprecedented spatial resolution for single molecule sensing, but their fabrication has thus far been difficult, poorly scalable, and prone to contamination. We demonstrate an in-situ fabrication method that nucleates and controllably enlarges nanopores in electrolyte solution by applying ultra-short, high-voltage pulses across the graphene ...

This paper reports electron beam induced shrinking of nanopores drilled in free-standing graphene. Nanopores with diameters in the range of 40-60 nm were easily shrunk down to 2 nm and even completely closed by exposure to low beam current densities in a transmission electron microscope (TEM). This method can be used to fine-tune nanopore shape and size, as well as to heal secondary defects and...

Nanopores are used for DNA sensing. Solid-state nanopores, which are milled through a silicon-based substrate, lack the atomic-level gemoetric precision of biological proteinmediated pores. However, they show great promise due to their greater stability and potential for modification. We developed tools to characterize solid-state nanopores by using their resistance to infer a functional diamet...

Nanopore technology has been developed for detecting properties of proteins through monitoring of ionic current modulations as protein passes via a nanosize pore. As a real-time, sensitive, selective and stable technology, biological nanopores are of widespread concern. Here, we introduce the background of nanopore researches in the area of α-hemolysin (α-HL) nanopores in protein conformation d...

We present a methodology for preparing silicon nitride nanopores that provides in situ control of size with sub-nanometer precision while simultaneously reducing electrical noise by up to three orders of magnitude through the cyclic application of high electric fields in an aqueous environment. Over 90% of nanopores treated with this technique display desirable noise characteristics and readily...

Nanopores are emerging as powerful tools for the detection and identification of macromolecules in aqueous solution. In this review, we discuss the recent development of active and passive controls over molecular transport through nanopores with emphasis on biosensing applications. We give an overview of the solutions developed to enhance the sensitivity and specificity of the resistive-pulse t...

Ionic transport in charged conical nanopores is known to give rise to ion current rectification. The present study shows that the rectification direction can be inverted when using electrolyte solutions at very low ionic strengths. To elucidate these phenomena, electroneutral conical nanopores containing a perm-selective region at the tip have been investigated and shown to behave like classica...