Nanofluidic diode in a suspended nanoparticle crystal

摘要

This work demonstrates a nanofluidic diode in a suspended nanoparticle crystal (S-NPC) constructed by sequentially packing hydroxyl-modified and amino-modified nanoparticles into a microfabricated silicon micropore. Current rectification in this nanofluidic diode comes from the asymmetric surface charge polarities along the nanochannel network inside the nanoparticle crystal. The maximum current rectification ratio was about 48 for the 173 nm S-NPC nanofluidic diode and the maximum forward current was larger than 700 nA at 3 V bias. Since it is inexpensive, easy to manufacture, and the surface charge properties are easily formed, having excellent electrical performance, this S-NPC nanofluidic diode holds application for biosensors.