Integration of Living Cells in Nanospring Networks for Multisensory Odor Detector

In this DoD STTR project, we propose a novel electronic nose based on a hybrid bio-nanomaterial, in which the living cells are structurally and electrically coupled to 3D nanostructures (nanosprings) through utilization of gold nanoparticles functionalized with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). These types of nanostructures are known as hybrid or mixed-type nanostructures. While semiconductor nanosprings can serve as a good catalytic material, coating of semiconductor nanosprings with a thin layer of metallic nanoparticles, then effectively “activates” the surface of the nanosprings, resulting in facile adsorption of molecules onto their surface. Gold nanoparticles modify the electrical response of the nanosprings and can be functionalized with SAMs using alkyl thiol chemistry. SAMs will create the necessary pre-treatment of nanoparticles for efficient electrical coupling with the yeast cells. Ultimately, each cell will be the source of modulating potential on the nanoscale-sized Schottky contacts, created by gold nanoparticles on the surface of semiconductor nanosprings. Due to the extremely high surface area of the nanosprings, a sub-mm nanospring sensor will be in fact 50 nm thick and almost a square meter of interactive surface area, covered by millions of nanoscale Schottky gates, transferring the signals from living cells, coupled to them through self-assembled monolayers.