# US 2014/0154785 A1 · Method for making polymer single nanowires and sensors utilizing the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0154785 A1 - Document ID: US20140154785A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/901,532 - Filed: 2013-05-23 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-05-23 - Assignees: University of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education - Inventors: Minhee Yun; David Schwartzman; Jiyong Huang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140154785A1 ## CPC - G01N 27/4145: {specially adapted for biomolecules, e.g. gate electrode with immobilised receptors} - G01N 27/4146: {involving nanosized elements, e.g. nanotubes, nanowires} - G01N 33/54366: {Apparatus specially adapted for solid-phase testing} - G01N 33/54373: {involving physiochemical end-point determination, e.g. wave-guides, FETS, gratings} - G01N 33/5438: {Electrodes} - G01N 33/552: Glass or silica - B82Y 15/00: Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors - Y10S 977/762: Nanowire or quantum wire, i.e. axially elongated structure having two dimensions of 100 nm or less - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A method of fabricating polymer single nanowires, comprising the steps of: spin coating a polymethylmethacrylate resist onto a silicon wafer patterned with at least one gold electrode pair; creating a nanochannel using e-beam lithography between each pair of the at least one gold electrode pairs; placing the silicon wafer into an aniline monomer polymerization solution; reacting the polymerization solution to give a coated wafer and a polyaniline film; and cleaning the coated wafer of polymethylmethacrylate resist and polyaniline film to give at least one gold electrode pair with a connecting polymer single nanowire. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of fabricating polymer single nanowires, comprising the steps of: spin coating a polymethylmethacrylate resist onto a silicon wafer patterned with at least one gold electrode pair; creating a nanochannel using e-beam lithography between each pair of the at least one gold electrode pairs; placing the silicon wafer into an aniline monomer polymerization solution; reacting the polymerization solution to give a coated wafer and a polyaniline film; and cleaning the coated wafer of polymethylmethacrylate resist and polyaniline film to give at least one gold electrode pair with a connecting polymer single nanowire. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein there is a plurality of gold electrode pairs on the silicon wafer, and each of the polymer single nanowires has a uniform diameter. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each polymer single nanowire has a diameter of about 100 nanometers and a length of about 8 micrometers. ### Claim 4 A polymer single nanowire having a plurality of polymer nanofibers whereby the surface to volume ratio is elevated. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The polymer single nanowire of claim 4 wherein the polymer single nanowire comprises polyaniline. ### Claim 6 A method of functionalizing polymer single nanowires to enable detection of a biomarker for a certain disease comprising the steps of: incubating an aqueous mixture of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide), N-hydroxysuccinimide, and a biomarker on a polymer single nanowire that connects a pair of gold electrodes on a silicon wafer; rinsing the polymer single nanowire; and soaking the polymer single nanowire in an aqueous solution of bovine serum albumin. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 wherein the biomarker is selected from the group consisting of B-type natriuretic peptide, myoglobin (Myo), cardiac troponin (cTpI), and creatine kinase (CK-MB). ### Claim 8 A method of manufacturing microfluidic sensors using functionalized polymer single nanowires, comprising the steps of: covalently bonding a biomarker to each of a plurality of polymer single nanowires, wherein each polymer single nanowire connects two gold electrodes on a silicon wafer to give a plurality of prefunctionalized biosensors; and integrating polydimethylsiloxane with each of the plurality of prefunctionalized biosensors using oxygen plasma treatment to give a plurality of microfluidic sensors. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of shielding each of the plurality of functionalized polymer single nanowires during oxygen plasma treatment. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the shielding comprises a shadow mask. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the shielding comprises a shadow mask of an aluminum substrate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein the silicon wafer has at least sixteen pairs of gold electrodes thereon. ### Claim 13 A biosensor comprising a microfluidic biosensor having an ion-sensitive field-effect transistor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The biosensor of claim 13, wherein the transistor comprises a biomarker functionalized polymer single nanowire. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The biosensor of claim 14, wherein the functionalized polymer single nanowire comprises polyaniline. ### Claim 16 A method of biasing a microfluidic biosensor to maximize sensitivity to a biomarker, the method comprising the steps of: covalently bonding the biomarker to a polymer single nanowire connecting two electrodes on a silicon wafer to give a prefunctionalized biosensor; integrating polydimethylsiloxane with the prefunctionalized biosensor to give a microfluidic device; coupling a gate electrode to the polymer single nanowire, wherein a solution in communication with the gate electrode and polymer single nanowire serves as a liquid electrolyte gate; and tuning a gate voltage applied to the gate electrode. ### Claim 17 A biomarker detection device comprising: a microfluidic biosensor further comprising a biomarker functionalized polymer single nanowire connecting a pair of gold electrodes on a silicon wafer; the polymer single nanowire coupled to a gate electrode by a liquid electrolyte gate; a tunable gate voltage connected to the gate electrode; and software configured to receive input of the conductivity/resistivity of the polymer single nanowire and report a response for results of the conductivity/resistivity of the polymer single nanowire. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The biomarker detection device of claim 17, wherein the reported response is outside a predetermined level. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The biomarker detection device of claim 17, wherein the biomarker is selected from the group consisting of B-type natriuretic peptide, myoglobin (Myo), cardiac troponin (cTpI), and creatine kinase (CK-MB). ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The biomarker detection device of claim 17, further comprising a wireless communication component.