ABSTRACT

The channel of CNT-based FET biosensors can be formed using single tubes or tube networks. It could be more difficult to manipulate single tubes for device fabrication than using a random tube network. Another challenge of single-CNT-based FETs lies in the control of electronic properties of the tubes because it depends on the size and chirality of the tubes. By contrast, NWs can be synthesized with high reproducibility, and their electronic properties can be easily tuned through controlled doping, compositional variation, and diameters. Moreover, the design of multisegment NWs offers spatially defined regions for the defined organization of different biomolecules. This allows the resulting NWs to perform several tasks simultaneously and opens the door to a variety of important applications in bioelectronics and nanomedicine [6]. To achieve desired biomolecule detection, NWs also need to be functionalized with a variety of linker molecules. The functionalization imparts catalytic and recognition/binding properties onto onedimensional NWs. Depending on the surface chemistry of the NWs, different modification schemes can be used for confining different biomolecules on the surface of the individual multisegment NWs [6]. In principle, NWs can be the functional element of the abovereviewed biosensors, where NWs are used instead of CNTs. Here, we review the most interesting biomedical applications of NWs and have no intention to cover all.