Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Lorentzweg 1, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands.
Nano Lett. 2010 Aug 11;10(8):3163-7. doi: 10.1021/nl102069z.
Nanopores--nanosized holes that can transport ions and molecules--are very promising devices for genomic screening, in particular DNA sequencing. Solid-state nanopores currently suffer from the drawback, however, that the channel constituting the pore is long, approximately 100 times the distance between two bases in a DNA molecule (0.5 nm for single-stranded DNA). This paper provides proof of concept that it is possible to realize and use ultrathin nanopores fabricated in graphene monolayers for single-molecule DNA translocation. The pores are obtained by placing a graphene flake over a microsize hole in a silicon nitride membrane and drilling a nanosize hole in the graphene using an electron beam. As individual DNA molecules translocate through the pore, characteristic temporary conductance changes are observed in the ionic current through the nanopore, setting the stage for future single-molecule genomic screening devices.
纳米孔是一种可以传输离子和分子的纳米级小孔，在基因组筛选方面，特别是在 DNA 测序方面，具有很大的应用潜力。然而，目前的固态纳米孔存在一个缺点，即构成孔的通道很长，大约是 DNA 分子中两个碱基之间距离的 100 倍（单链 DNA 为 0.5nm）。本文提供了一个概念验证，证明了在石墨烯单层中制造的超薄纳米孔可用于单分子 DNA 转位。这些孔是通过将石墨烯薄片放置在氮化硅膜上的微孔上来获得的，然后使用电子束在石墨烯上钻一个纳米级的孔。当单个 DNA 分子通过孔时，在通过纳米孔的离子电流中观察到特征性的临时电导变化，为未来的单分子基因组筛选设备奠定了基础。
