Directed surface functionalization on selected surface areas of topographical features with nanometer resolution
A method for making a single molecule receptor in a nanopore structure includes depositing a material by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique onto a selected interior surface of a nanochannel and functionalizing a surface of the material with a chemical compound having at least two functional groups. The material forms a patch having a diameter of about 3 to about 10,000 nanometers (nm). Also disclosed are embodiments of a nanopore structure including a single molecule receptor.
1. A method for making a single molecule receptor in a nanopore structure, the method comprising:
tilting the nanopore structure at an angle with respect to a beam to position the beam onto a selected interior surface of a nanochannel in the nanopore structure, the beam being operative to deposit a material by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique;
operating the beam to deposit the material onto a selected interior surface of the nanochannel, the material forming a patch having a surface area of about 3 to about 10,000 nm 2 ; and
functionalizing a surface of the patch to form the single molecule receptor by depositing a chemical compound that forms a self-assembled monolayer on the surface of the patch.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chemical compound comprises a first functional group that forms a contact product with the material, a second functional group that forms a contact product with an analyte, and a linker connecting the first functional group to the second functional group.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the linker is a hydrocarbon, a peptide, a synthetic polymer, or any combination thereof.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first functional group is a an acyl halide group, an amine group, an amide group, an alcohol group, a carboxylate thiol group, a nitrile group, a phosphate group, a phosphine group, silane group, a sulfate group, a sulfide group, a sulfite group, thiol group, a thiolate group, or any combination thereof.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the angle is between about 1° and about 52°.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanochannel diameter is about 30 to about 100 nm.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the self-assembled monolayer comprises silane groups.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the single molecule receptor is a binding site with nanometer dimensions that binds to only a single molecule of an analyte in a complex sample.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the patch extends from the selected interior surface of the nanochannel to an opening of the nanochannel.