Method and apparatus for nanoparticle transport and detection

1. An apparatus comprising:

a membrane;

a nanotube embedded within the membrane and providing a conduit through the membrane, the ends of the nanotube being flush with respective surfaces of the membrane; and

wherein the nanotube is a carbon nanotube.

2. A method of forming a membrane having a small hole disposed therein comprising:

surrounding at least a portion of a nanotube with a material; and

sectioning the material and the nanotube to produce the membrane having the small hole disposed therein.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein surrounding at least a portion of the nanotube with a material comprises surrounding at least a portion of the nanotube with a polymer precursor in liquid form and then solidifying the polymer.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein sectioning the material comprising slicing a thin membrane off the material with a knife.

5. The method of claim 2 , and further comprising removing the nanotube from the sectioned material.

6. A method of forming a membrane having a small hole disposed therein comprising:

surrounding at least a portion of a nanotube with a liquid or gaseous material;

allowing the liquid or gaseous material to solidify around the nanotube; and

removing by chemical oxidation the at least a portion of the nanotube from the solidified material, leaving the membrane having the small hole disposed therein.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein surrounding the at least a portion of a nanotube with a liquid or gaseous material and allowing the liquid or gaseous material to solidify around the nanotube comprises depositing an inorganic solid around the nanotube.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein an inorganic solid comprises silicon nitride.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein an inorganic solid comprises silicon dioxide.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein depositing an inorganic solid comprises depositing the solid by chemical vapor deposition.

11. A method for detecting particles comprising:

providing a membrane having a portion of a nanotube disposed therein that provides a conduit through the membrane;

allowing the particles to pass through the membrane through the conduit of the nanotube;

detecting the passage of the particles through the conduit of the nanotube; and

wherein allowing the particles to pass through the membrane through the conduit of the nanotube comprises applying a pressure differential across the membrane.

12. A method for delivering a liquid material to a desired location comprising:

providing a nanotube holder between the liquid material and the desired location, the nanotube holder having a portion of a nanotube disposed therein that provides a conduit through the holder; and

forcing the liquid material through the holder to the desired location by forcing the liquid material through the conduit of the nanotube.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein forcing the liquid material comprises applying a concentration gradient across the conduit of the nanotube.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein forcing the liquid material comprises applying a pressure differential across the conduit of the nanotube.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein forcing the liquid material through the holder comprises applying an electric field across the conduit of the nanotube.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein forcing the liquid material through the holder comprises placing the nanotube holder in a centrifugal force field.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the nanotube holder comprises a membrane.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the membrane comprises a polymer.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the membrane comprises an inorganic solid.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the membrane comprises glass.

21. The method of claim 17 , wherein the membrane comprises a glass reservoir.

22. The method of claim 12 , wherein the liquid material comprises a plurality of microscopic particles.

23. The method of claim 12 , wherein the desired location comprises a liquid medium.

24. The method of claim 12 , wherein the desired location comprises a gas medium.

25. The method of claim 12 , wherein the desired location comprises a vacuum of less than one atmosphere of pressure.

26. A method for delivering material to a desired location comprising:

providing a nanotube holder between the material and the desired location, the nanotube holder having a portion of a nanotube disposed therein that provides a conduit through the holder;

applying a pressure differential across the conduit of the nanotube to force the material through the holder to the desired location by forcing the material through the conduit of the nanotube; and

wherein the material comprises a liquid.