Biological Applications of 1-D Silica Nanomaterials

The most common appUcation of 1-D silica nanostructures to date has been in electrical sensors to detect small quantities of biomolecules in solution (71-78). The 1-D nature of these materials provides an enhanced sensitivity to surface charge variations in comparison with bulk 2-D surfaces. The first reported biodetection utilized the weU-characterized interaction between biotin and streptavidin [79]. Here, the streptavidin target was detected in solution by covalently immobilizing biotin on the surface of the silicon nanostructure. A single nanowire was then 

In addition to protein targets, a number of groups have reported the detection of nucleic acids on 1-D sihca nanostructures [68, 82-84]. Here, single silica nanowires were used to measure the sequence-specific hybridization of DNA to DNA receptors that were covalently attached to the nanowires [68, 82-84]. DNA was detected by changes in the conductance of the device, and detection limits down to femtomolar DNA concentrahons were reported [82]. 

To date, the appHcations of 1-D silica nanostructures to biological systems have been Hmited to sensor developments for the detection of biomolecules (e.g. DNA, 

and Choi, D. (2005) Effect of external magnetic field on anisotropy of Co/Cu multilayer nanowires. Journal of Applied Physics, Article no. 08C909. 

3 Bilalbegovi, G. (2005) Electronic properties of silica nanowires. Journal of Physics Condensed Matter, 18, 3829-35. 

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