In collaboration with the Heath’s Group at Caltech, we have recently
developed a template-free electrochemical approach to prepare a
variety of conducting polymer nanowires (CPNWs) from their redox-active
monomers – including aniline, pyrrole, thiophene, and their
derivatives – on the surfaces of metal (Au or Pt) electrodes.
Because of the CPNWs’ excellent performance in adjustable transport
properties, chemical specificity, readily scalable production and
biocompatibility, these CPNWs have become perfect platforms in a
nanosensor.
Recently, we demonstrated a new approach for the in situ
electrochemical fabrication of an individually addressable array of
conducting polymer nanowires (CPNWs) positioned within an integrated
microfluidic device. We also showed that such a device can be used
as a chemical sensor immediately after its construction. This
signal-step fabrication approach is much convenient and efficient
when compared to the conventional fabrications of one-dimensional
nanomaterial-based electronic biosensors. The method we describe in
the manuscript opens up new possibilities in the fabrication of
high-density, individually addressable CPNWs arrays for use in
chemical and biological sensing. In addition, the integration of
electropolymerization and microfluidics techniques provides
important advantages that allow the simple and rapid fabrication of
CPNW sensors and their immediate utilization in situ.
