Knoblauch Christopher, Griep Mark, Friedrich Craig
Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, Multi-Scale Technologies Institute, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA.
Army Research Laboratory, Weapons and Materials Research Directorate, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD 21005, USA.
Sensors (Basel). 2014 Oct 22;14(10):19731-66. doi: 10.3390/s141019731.
Molecular sensors and molecular electronics are a major component of a recent research area known as bionanotechnology, which merges biology with nanotechnology. This new class of biosensors and bioelectronics has been a subject of intense research over the past decade and has found application in a wide variety of fields. The unique characteristics of these biomolecular transduction systems has been utilized in applications ranging from solar cells and single-electron transistors (SETs) to fluorescent sensors capable of sensitive and selective detection of a wide variety of targets, both organic and inorganic. This review will discuss three major systems in the area of molecular sensors and electronics and their application in unique technological innovations. Firstly, the synthesis of optoelectric bacteriorhodopsin (bR) and its application in the field of molecular sensors and electronics will be discussed. Next, this article will discuss recent advances in the synthesis and application of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs). Finally, this article will conclude with a review of the new and exciting field of noble metal nanoclusters and their application in the creation of a new class of fluorescent sensors.
分子传感器和分子电子学是被称为生物纳米技术这一最新研究领域的主要组成部分，生物纳米技术将生物学与纳米技术融合在一起。在过去十年中，这类新型生物传感器和生物电子学一直是深入研究的课题，并已在广泛的领域中得到应用。这些生物分子转导系统的独特特性已被应用于从太阳能电池和单电子晶体管（SET）到能够灵敏且选择性地检测各种有机和无机目标的荧光传感器等诸多领域。本综述将讨论分子传感器和电子学领域的三大主要系统及其在独特技术创新中的应用。首先，将讨论光电细菌视紫红质（bR）的合成及其在分子传感器和电子学领域的应用。接下来，本文将讨论半导体量子点（QD）合成与应用的最新进展。最后，本文将对贵金属纳米团簇这一全新且令人兴奋的领域及其在创建新型荧光传感器方面的应用进行综述。
