Nosang V. Myung

Recent progress in carbon nanotube-based gas sensors

The development of carbon nanotube-(CNTs-)based gas sensors and sensor arrays has attracted intensive research interest in the last several years because of their potential for the selective and rapid detection of various gaseous species by novel nanostructures integrated in miniature and low-power consuming electronics. Chemiresistors and chemical field effect transistors are probably the most promising types of gas nanosensors. In these sensors, the electrical properties of nanostructures are dramatically changed when exposed to the target gas analytes. In this review, recent progress on the development of different types of CNT-based nanosensors is summarized. The focus was placed on the means used by various researchers to improve the sensing performance (sensitivity, selectivity and response time) through the rational functionalization of CNTs with different methods (covalent and non-covalent) and with different materials (polymers and metals).

Development of electroplated magnetic materials for MEMS

Abstract Permalloy (19%Ni–81%Fe alloy) and nickel have thus far found the most utility in magnetic-Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS), because the technologies necessary for depositing and micromachining them have been well-developed previously by the data storage industry. However, other high performance soft magnetic materials and hard magnetic materials have unique advantages that are driving their integration with MEMS/NEMS. These include enhanced magnetic properties, corrosion resistance, electrical resistivity, and reduced films stress. The primary issues associated with the integration of these magnetic materials in MEMS/NEMS are discussed.

Single-walled carbon nanotube-based chemiresistive affinity biosensors for small molecules: ultrasensitive glucose detection.

We report for the first time single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)-based chemiresistive affinity sensors for highly sensitive and selective detection of small and/or weakly charged or uncharged molecules using a displacement format. The detection of glucose, a small, weakly charged molecule, by displacement of plant lectin (concavalin A) bound to a polysaccharide (dextran) immobilized on SWNTs with picomolar sensitivity and selectivity over other sugars and human serum proteins is demonstrated as a proof of concept.

Polyaniline nanowires-gold nanoparticles hybrid network based chemiresistive hydrogen sulfide sensor

We report a sensitive, selective, and fast responding room temperature chemiresistive sensor for hydrogen sulfide detection and quantification using polyaniline nanowires-gold nanoparticles hybrid network. The sensor was fabricated by facile electrochemical technique. Initially, polyaniline nanowires with a diameter of 250–320 nm bridging the gap between a pair of microfabricated gold electrodes were synthesized using templateless electrochemical polymerization using a two step galvanostatic technique. Polyaniline nanowires were then electrochemically functionalized with gold nanoparticles using cyclic voltammetry technique. These chemiresistive sensors show an excellent limit of detection (0.1 ppb), wide dynamic range (0.1–100 ppb), and very good selectivity and reproducibility.

Magnetic properties of nanocrystalline iron group thin film alloys electrodeposited from sulfate and chloride baths

Abstract Systematic studies of iron group binary (NiCo and CoFe) and ternary (CoNiFe) thin film alloys relating their magnetic properties with film composition, grain size and the corresponding crystal structure were investigated. Anions influence current efficiencies, magnetic properties, surface morphology and phases of electrodeposited films. Higher current efficiencies in chloride baths compared to sulfate baths were observed for CoFe, NiCo and CoNiFe alloys. The higher deposition current efficiencies in chloride baths were attributed to a catalytic effect. Anion types in CoFe and CoNiFe thin film alloys influenced the microstructures and the resulting magnetic properties (coercivity and squareness). The microstructures of NiCo alloys depend on the deposit Co contents rather than anion types. The surface morphologies of CoFe, NiCo and CoNiFe thin films were independent of anion types. CoFe deposits exhibited relatively smooth surface morphology and turned into fine crystallites with increasing solution Fe +2 concentration. NiCo deposits showed very smooth surface morphology. CoNiFe deposits had the surface morphology of polyhedral crystallites. The deposit Fe content in CoFe electrodeposits linearly increased with increasing solution Fe +2 concentration for both chloride and sulfate baths. Similar linear behavior of deposit Co contents was observed in NiCo electrodeposits.

Conducting polymer nanowires for chemiresistive and FET-based bio/chemical sensors

Conducting polymer nanostructures are emerging materials with tremendous potential for conductometric/field effect transistor (FET) bio/chemical sensors because of their chemical sensitivity and biocompatibility. Herein, we review recent developments in conducting polymer nanowire-based sensors and discuss the impact of several milestones and continuing challenges. Particular attention is given to device fabrication, nanostructure performance enhancement, and functionalization schemes. Several assembly and integration techniques have been developed for single nanowire devices but significant progress is still needed to improve scalability and manufacturability. Future work should focus on high throughput approaches that enable combinatorial screening of conducting polymer nanowires and heterogeneous, high density arrays of conducting polymer nanostructures, deterministically tailored for targeted analytes. The spatial and temporal resolution of conducting polymer nanowires is addressed along with the origin of the sensitivity enhancement. Functionalization routes add another degree of complexity for biosensors and are discussed in the context of nanosensor performance and device fabrication.

Electrodeposited Iron Group Thin-Film Alloys: Structure-Property Relationships

Various iron group alloys have been electrodeposited and evaluated for properties including corrosion resistance, microstructure, electrical resistivity, magnetoresistance and other magnetic properties. Corrosion resistance depends on deposit composition and microstructure, which are controlled by solution composition and deposition variables. Maximum corrosion resistance was observed for 50Ni50Fe and 70Co30Ni binary alloys. The corrosion resistance of electrodeposited CoFe films was an order of magnitude lower than CoNi and NiFe films. Substantially increased corrosion resistance was obtained by adding Ni to CoFe alloys. However, addition of B only slightly increased corrosion resistance. For electrodeposited NiFe and CoNi thin film alloys, three distinct structural regions were observed: for NiFe alloys, fcc, mixed fcc and bcc, and bcc phases as deposit Fe content increased; for CoNi alloys, fcc, mixed fcc and hcp, and hcp as deposit Co content increased. The smallest grain size was obtained in the mixed phase region of both NiFe and CoNi alloys, For CoFe alloys, a mixed phase region was not observed; only fcc and bcc phases were obtained. Electrodeposited NiFe films from sulfate baths show superior soft magnetic properties including both lower coercivity and higher squareness than from chloride baths. Magnetic saturation (M S ) of electrodeposited NiFe films follow bulk alloys where magnetic saturation increased with increased deposit Fe content.

Biogenic formation of photoactive arsenic-sulfide nanotubes by Shewanella sp. strain HN-41

Microorganisms facilitate the formation of a wide range of minerals that have unique physical and chemical properties as well as morphologies that are not produced by abiotic processes. Here, we report the production of an extensive extracellular network of filamentous, arsenic-sulfide (As-S) nanotubes (20–100 nm in diameter by ≈30 μm in length) by the dissimilatory metal-reducing bacterium Shewanella sp. HN-41. The As-S nanotubes, formed via the reduction of As(V) and S2O32−, were initially amorphous As2S3 but evolved with increasing incubation time toward polycrystalline phases of the chalcogenide minerals realgar (AsS) and duranusite (As4S). Upon maturation, the As-S nanotubes behaved as metals and semiconductors in terms of their electrical and photoconductive properties, respectively. The As-S nanotubes produced by Shewanella may provide useful materials for novel nano- and opto-electronic devices.

Ferromagnetic micromechanical magnetometer

A novel micromechanical magnetometer has been designed, fabricated, and tested that consists of low-stress electrodeposited hard magnetic alloys and surface micromachined polysilicon structures. The sensor responds to applied magnetic fields without consuming any power and the magnitude of the response is scale independent. By optically measuring their response, these second-generation sensors can be used to detect fields as small as 500 nT and their experimental performance agree well with theoretical predictions.

Peptide-mediated shape- and size-tunable synthesis of gold nanostructures.

While several biological processes have been shown to be useful for the production of well-designed, inorganic nanostructures, the mechanism(s) controlling the size and shape of nano and micron size particles remains elusive. Here we report on the controlled size- and shape-specific production of gold nanostructures under ambient reaction conditions using a dodecapeptide, Midas-2, originally selected from a phage-displayed combinatorial peptide library. Single amino acid changes in Midas-2 greatly influence the size (a few nanometers to approximately 100 microm) and shape (nanoparticles, nanoribbons, nanowires and nanoplatelets) of the gold nanostructures produced, and these are controllable by adjusting the solution pH and gold ion concentration. The ability to control the shape and size of the gold nanostructures by changing the peptide structure and reaction conditions will lead to many potential applications, including nanoelectronics, sensors and optoelectronics, because of their unique size- and shape-dependent optical and electrical properties.