Abstract
Solid-state nanochannels (SSNs) provide a promising approach for biosensing due to the confinement of molecules inside, their great mechanical strength and diversified surface chemical properties; however, until now, their sensitivity and specificity have not satisfied the practical requirements of sensing applications, especially in complex matrices, i.e., media of diverse constitutions. Here, we report a protocol to achieve explicit regional and functional division of functional elements at the outer surface (FEOS) and inner wall (FEIW) of SSNs, which offers a nanochannel-based sensing platform with enhanced specificity and sensitivity. The protocol starts with the fabrication and characterization of the distribution of FEOS and FEIW. Then, the evaluation of the contributions of FEOS and FEIW to ionic gating is described; the FEIW mainly regulate ionic gating, and the FEOS can produce a synergistic effect. Finally, hydrophobic or highly charged FEOS are applied to ward off interference molecules, non-target molecules that may affect the ionic signal of nanochannels, which decreases false signals and helps to achieve the highly specific ionic output in complex matrices. Compared with other methods currently available, this method will contribute to the fundamental understanding of substance transport in SSNs and provide high specificity and sensitivity in SSN-based analyses. The procedure takes 3–6 d to complete.
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The authors declare that the main data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article and its Supplementary Information files.
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Acknowledgements
This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22090050, 21974126, 21874121 and 51803194). This research is supported by the Hubei Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (2020CFA037), Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China under grant nos. LY19B030001 and LD21B050001. The project is supported by the Open-end Funds from the Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geomaterials of thMinistry of Education (NGM2019KF013) and the Fundamental Research Funds for National Universities, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan). This research work was supported by the Open Funds of the State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry (SKLEAC202003) and the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFE0206900).
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F.X. directed the project. P.G. designed the research. D.W. and Q.M. organized the text about the preparation and modification of nanochannels. X.W and Y.C. organized the tables and the figures. X.L. organized the text about the electrochemical and fluorescent tests. P.G., C.C., X.W., D.D., Y.L. and Y.C. wrote the manuscript. All authors contributed to discussions.
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Key references using this protocol
Gao, P. et al. Nat. Commun. 9, 4557 (2018): https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-06873-z
Li, X. et al. Nat. Commun. 9, 40 (2018): https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03030-4
Xu, X. et al. NPG Asia Mater. 8, e234 (2016): https://doi.org/10.1038/am.2015.138
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Gao, P., Wang, D., Che, C. et al. Regional and functional division of functional elements of solid-state nanochannels for enhanced sensitivity and specificity of biosensing in complex matrices. Nat Protoc 16, 4201–4226 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41596-021-00574-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41596-021-00574-6
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