Porous nanostructures and methods involving the same

摘要

A method for simultaneously detecting and separating a target analyte such as a protein or other macromolecule that includes providing a porous silicon matrix on the silicon substrate, exposing the porous silicon matrix to an environment suspect of containing the target analyte, observing optical reflectivity of the porous silicon matrix; and correlating the changes in the silicon substrate to the target analyte.

主权项

1. A method for forming a porous silicon matrix with a lateral pore gradient including an approximately linear distribution of pore sizes, comprising:
placing a silicon substrate in an etching solution; disposing one end of a counter electrode in the etching solution at a distance from a surface or surface portion of the silicon substrate to be etched, the one end of the counter electrode being aligned proximate an edge of the surface or surface portion of the silicon substrate to be etched and an opposite end of the counter electrode being distant from the surface or surface portion of the substrate and the edge of the surface or surface portion; and applying power potential between the silicon surface and the counter electrode to create an etching current density gradient across the silicon substrate for a period of time to create the approximately linear distribution of pore sizes across the silicon surface.