ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the key physical parameters that are useful for understanding nanofluidic transport. It describes the main types and structural motives of biological and artificial nanopores, and surveys some of the resent research on biomimetic nanopores. The chapter also describes the principles and examples of nanopore-based sensing—an approach that promises to revolutionize some areas of medical diagnostics in the coming years. Solid-state nanopores are nanopores made by carving a hole in a solid-state membrane, typically less than 100 nm thick. The most common nanopore membrane material is a low-stress silicon nitride membrane supported by a silicon chip frame. A carbon nanotube (CNT) forms when a graphene sheet is rolled up into a perfectly seamless cylinder. MD simulations first provided a clear indication small-diameter CNTs could be an interesting nanofluidic substrate due to their tendency to form hydrogen-bonded "water wire" structures in which the water molecules form a "train" that runs down the nanopore axis.
