Nanotube structures having a surfactant bilayer inner wall coating

1. A method of binding a first member of a specific binding pair, comprising:

providing an article of manufacture comprising:

(a) a nanotube having an inner wall portion, said nanotube having (i) an inner diameter between 10 nanometers and 500 nanometers and (ii) a length from two to one thousand times said diameter; and

(b) a bilayer coating formed on and parallel to said inner wall portion, such that only the hydrophilic portion of the bilayer coating is in contact with said inner wall portion, with said bilayer coating comprised of (i) from 10 to 90 percent by weight surfactants and (ii) from 10 to 90 percent by weight water,

said article further comprising a secondary compound associated with said bilayer coating, wherein said secondary compound is a second member of said specific binding pair; and then contacting a composition containing said first member of said specific binding pair to said article of manufacture so that first member of said specific binding pair binds to said second member of said specific binding pair and is thereby bound to bilayer coating formed on said inner wall portion of said nanotube.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

separating said composition from said article of manufacture; and then

releasing said first member of said specific binding pair from said second member of said specific binding pair.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first member of said specific binding pair is a protein, peptide, or nucleic acid.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first member of said specific binding pair is a protein, peptide or nucleic acid.

5. A method of converting a first compound to a second compound by a catalytic reaction, comprising:

providing an article of manufacture comprising:

(a) a nanotube having an inner wall portion, said nanotube having (i) an inner diameter between 10 nanometers and 500 nanometers and (ii) a length from two to one thousand times said diameter; and

(b) a bilayer coating formed on and parallel to said inner wall portion, such that only the hydrophilic portion of the bilayer coating is in contact with said inner wall portion, with said bilayer coating comprised of (i) from 10 to 90 percent by weight surfactants and (ii) from 10 to 90 percent by weight water,

said article further comprising a secondary compound associated with said bilayer coating, wherein said secondary compound is a catalyst for said catalytic reaction; and then

contacting a composition containing said first compound to said bilayer coating under conditions in which said first compound is catalytically converted to said second compound by said catalyst in said bilayer coating formed on said inner wall portion of said nanotube.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said contacting step is carried out by continuously flowing said composition through said nanotube.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein said first compound is a protein or peptide.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein said catalyst is a protein or nucleic acid.

9. A method of binding a target compound, comprising:

providing a patterned nanotube array comprising:

(a) a substrate having a plurality of nanotubes formed therein, each of said nanotubes having (i) an inner wall portion (ii) an inner diameter between 10 nanometers and 500 nanometers and (iii) a length from two to one thousand times said diameter; and

(b) a bilayer coating formed on and parallel to each of said inner wall portions, such that only the hydrophilic portion of the bilayer coating is in contact with said inner wall portions, with said bilayer coating comprised of (i) from 10 to 90 percent by weight surfactants and (ii) from 10 to 90 percent by weight water; and

(c) a secondary compound associated with said bilayer coating, wherein said secondary compound in each one of said separate and discrete regions differs from said secondary compound in each of the other separate and discrete regions;

contacting a composition containing said target compound to said array; and then

detecting the binding of said target compound to said secondary compound in at least one of said separate and discrete regions.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said secondary compounds comprise proteins or peptides.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein said secondary compounds comprise nucleic acids.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of identifying the secondary compound to which said secondary compound binds.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of identifying the test compound bound to said secondary compound.

14. A method of altering the composition of a nanotube, comprising:

(A) providing an article of manufacture comprising:

(a) a nanotube having an inner wall portion, said nanotube having (i) an inner diameter between 10 nanometers and 500 nanometers and (ii) a length from two to one thousand times said diameter; and

(b) a bilayer coating formed on and parallel to said inner wall portion, such that only the hydrophilic portion of the bilayer coating is in contact with said inner wall portion, with said bilayer coating comprised of (i) from 10 to 90 percent by weight surfactants and (ii) from 10 to 90 percent by weight water,

wherein said bilayer coating is hydrated with an aqueous solution along the entire length dimension of said nanotube; and then

(B) introducing a solute into said aqueous solution along said entire length dimension of said nanotube.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said nanotube has an opening, said introducing step is carried out by contacting said solute to said opening, and said introducing step is carried out within a time of ten minutes.